


A Million Ways to Fall in Love

by gwenleewrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AUs, Adrinette, Aged-Up Character(s), Denial, Dorks, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendzone, Kisses, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Obliviousness, Rejection, Reveal, SADrien, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, balcony, lots and lots of stupidity, sin - Freeform, these dorks fall in love every single time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-24 11:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14354835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenleewrites/pseuds/gwenleewrites
Summary: “It’s all your fault!” Chat shouts, pointing an accusing finger at the genuinely confused girl. “You had to go and be sweet and cute and just way too good to me!”Marinette winces, but opens one eye to look up at the cat-themed superhero.“And I’m supposed to be in love with Ladybug! But, now I might be in love with you and I don’t know what to do with myself because you’re amazing Marinette,” his words come out breathy and desperate.“Y-You’re in love with me?” Marinette splutters, shocked and happy and a little bit scared.(A series of AUs where every love story is different, and yet all of them are the same.)





	1. Practiced Confessions AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chat thinks Marinette can help him perfect his confession for Ladybug, but ends up with a pile of feelings he didn’t ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Marichat so much <3

“I love you,” he whispers his heartfelt confession, “and I needed to tell you that because you mean _everything_ to me.”

_Ba-dump._

Marinette’s heart skips a beat, and she silently begs for the traitorous thumping in her chest to stop. His words pierce straight through her soul, and they sound so  _genuine_ that she feels like crying. 

The boy standing in front of her seems to notice the tears that prickle at the corners of her eyes, and a look of concern washes over his face. 

“Marinette, are you alright?”

She nods a little too quickly, her palms wiping furiously at her eyes before he can see just how watery they are.

”That one was r-really g-good, Chat,” Marinette says, giving him an awkward thumbs up.

Chat’s face lights up almost immediately, his smile stretching so wide that Marinette has to smile too.

”You really think so?”

”Of course,” her words are shaky, “you’re really getting better at, uh, confessing.”

Then, he pulls her into a hug, his arms pulling her flush against his chest in a tight embrace.  _This was a bad idea_ , she thinks, when she hugs him back and realizes just how much she enjoys it.

“You’re the best, Princess,” Chat tells her, squeezing a little bit tighter. “Thank you for helping me.”

Marinette feels the heat rising in her cheeks, so she pulls away before she gets too warm. She notices he’s blushing too, adorably scratching the back of his head. 

_Ba-dump._

It started out innocently enough, as it always does, and Marinette was only trying to help out a friend. When Chat Noir had told her that he was in love with Ladybug, she couldn’t believe her ears. That had been during his first balcony visit of course, right before Glaciator interrupted them. And then days later, he’d come back, with a little spring in his step. His happy mood was a large shift from the dismal mood he’d been in the first time. 

Chat gushed to Marinette about how he kissed Ladybug on the cheek and handed her a rose, while she tried her best to act like this was news to her. She couldn’t help giggling at how animated he got when talking about her superhero alter-ego.

And then he’d whirled around and asked if she could help him with figuring out how to confess his true feelings. That part had taken her by surprise. He seemed so convinced that a sincere admission would get Ladybug to change her mind. Marinette wanted to say no, she needed to say no. But, he looked up at her with an expression so fragile that she didn’t want to be the one to crush his hope, even though she knew Ladybug was not going to accept any confession (no matter how well-rehearsed) from Chat at all.

But she’d told him yes, and since then, Chat had been coming back to her balcony with a different confession every time. And now here she was, remembering yet again that she should’ve said no. 

Weeks later, and Marinette feels trapped. She’s never actually realized just how sweet Chat Noir is, and her heart is telling her things she’d never expected to hear.

”I really hope things work out for you, Chat,” Marinette says, and of course she means it. But, guilt pools in her stomach because she’s setting him up to fail.

”You too,” Chat winks.

”Me?”

”You told me a while ago that you’ve had your heart broken too, and if anyone in this world deserves happiness, it’s you,” he tells her.

 _Ba-dump_.

Marinette knows he’s got a way with words, and she realizes that he’s slowly finding himself a place in her heart, whether or not he means to. She thinks about Adrien, and how hopeless her pining seems to be. He’s such a kind person, but she can’t seem to get him past the friend zone she’s been stuck in since they first met.

And here Chat is, saying she deserves all the happiness in the world.

She takes a step forward, standing up on her tip-toes to press a kiss against his cheek. But, he turns his head when she leans forward, and their lips brush against each other for a brief second, before Marinette yanks herself back. 

“Oh my god, sorry!” Marinette shouts, slowly shrinking further and further away from him.

”No,” Chat says, “that was my fault, since I shouldn’t have turned and-“

”I was trying to kiss your cheek-“

They both stop talking, abruptly. Their natural awkwardness shining though as they stare slack-jawed at each other. 

“I should probably go,” Chat points behind his shoulder. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda late isn’t it?” Marinette chuckles nervously.

He looks at her like he wants to say something, _needs_ to say something, but he decides against it and gives her a two-finger salute before high-tailing out of there. 

“What have I done?” Marinette groans, alone on her balcony.

 _Ba-dump_.

 

* * *

 

She’s reluctant to go on patrol the next night, knowing how awkward she’ll be around her partner. Marinette had gotten no sleep, the memory of his lips brushing against hers stuck in her brain. 

It was true she had kissed him as Ladybug once before, but this felt different. No akumas had been involved this time. And during the accidental kiss she was really Marinette.

She isn’t sure how long she’s been waiting on their familiar rooftop when she spots Chat Noir in the air, on his way to land. But, then his foot slips when he touches the roof, and he tumbles across the surface until he reaches her.

Ladybug bends down to inspect him, his body was still. “Chat, are you alright?”

Quickly he hops up. “I’m _feline_ great M’lady.”

She rolls her eyes at him. “You’re obviously not hurt if you still have that bad sense of humor of yours.”

But he doesn’t respond, and she notices that he has a faraway look in his eyes. Almost as if he isn’t really there. Ladybug follows his line of sight, seeing that he’s staring at her parent’s bakery, specifically at the balcony on top.

”Something on your mind, Kitty?”

”No. Yes. Maybe?”

Ladybug reaches her hand out to touch his forearm soothingly, and to her surprise he flinches like she’s burned him.

She frowns. “Does it have to do with Marinette?”

Chat’s gaze snaps up, an expression of shock spreading across his features. 

“How did you know?”

”Uh,” Ladybug stalls, “I saw you staring at her balcony, and she told me you guys have been talking about. . . Stuff.”

Chat panics. “Did she tell you what we’ve been talking about?!”

”No,” she replies nonchalantly. 

He lets out a sigh of relief, his breath blowing strands of hair out of his face.

”So, it _is_ about Marinette?” Ladybug asks again, batting her eyelashes innocently at her partner. 

Pink blooms in his cheeks, and the color stands out against the black of his mask and the tan of his skin. Ladybug takes his silence and blushing as a yes. 

“Marinette and I,” Chat starts, tracing circles on his hand with his claws, “we sort of _kissed_.”

Ladybug feigns a look of surprise, obviously because she’d been the one to kiss him in the first place.

”It was an accident though,” Chat explains, “and now I feel terrible.”

Her mouth twists into a frown. “The kiss was that bad, huh?”

Chat groans, and Marinette feels like curling up in a hole and dying. She knows she doesn’t have too much experience, but to hear him react so poorly is more than enough to permanately wound her ego. 

“It was amazing,” her partner whimpers, burying his face in his gloved hands.

She does a double take. “What?”

”It wasn’t bad,” he murmurs into the leather, “I even liked it.”

”So,” she drawls, “what’s the problem?”

”I wasn’t supposed to like it!” He shouts, pacing around frantically. “She was helping me out, she’s just a _friend_ , she’s just a. . . _Really good kisser._ ”

Marinette blushes, only feeling slightly guilty for hearing his thoughts on her lip-locking abilities.

 “It’s clearly messing with your head,” the spotted super heroine says, trying to hold back her smile. “Maybe you should talk to her.”

”I don’t even know if I can face her,” he scoffs. 

“Well,” Ladybug gulps, “do you like her?”

The leather clad hero freezes, hands periodically clenching and unclenching.

”Aw, Kitty’s got a crush,” Ladybug sing-songs, giggling behind her hand. 

“On Marinette?” Chat asks. “No way, never, that’s not- I mean what?”

”Never, huh?” 

“Yeah,” he responds. 

“Well, why not?” Ladybug asks, and she’s not really sure why she feels such a strong urge to know. “Is there something wrong with Marinette?”

Chat blanches. “What? No, she’s amazing!” Ladybug raises an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. 

“Marinette is so sweet, and smart, and talented. She’s brave and always stands up for her friends too, and when she’s really focused she does this cute thing where she sticks her tongue out,” Chat rambles, a small smile working its way onto his features.

Marinette decides to take advantage of his vulnerable state. 

“Is she pretty?”

”Oh _beautiful_!” Chat corrects. “She’s just got these big blue eyes that make you feel like you’re the only person that matters. And, her smile just lights up your whole day because she just feels like. . . Like _home_.”

Marinette stills, because for once this confession is for her and not for Ladybug. And everything he says makes her feel like she’s the only woman in the world.

”But,” Chat mutters, “she’s just a friend.”

”Based on what you just said I think she’s more than just a-“

”I can’t!” Chat yells, pulling at his hair in frustration. “I’m not supposed to be in love with her, I’m supposed to be in love with. . . With someone else!”

”Chat-“

”I’m sorry,” he cuts her off, “You’re right, I just need to talk to her.”

”Wait,” Ladybug panics, “talk to who?”

”Marinette!” Chat calls, already jumping away. 

“Crap.”

 

* * *

 

Marinette had never been more out of breath in her life. She had sprinted across rooftops, and around the side of her parent’s bakery, careful that Chat didn’t see her. 

She ran up the stairs to her bedroom, quiet enough not to wake her sleeping parents. And when she threw open her trapdoor, she could hear the soft tapping on her skylight. 

Feigning surprise, Marinette slips up to her balcony. 

“Hi Chat!” 

He gives her a stone cold look, and a low growl. Marinette feels her insides turning around in a way that makes her too uneasy for comfort. 

“One last confession,” he grits out. 

“For Ladybug?”

The feline hero shakes his head. Marinette furrows her brow at him, waiting for more.

“It’s all your fault!” Chat shouts, pointing an accusing finger at the very confused girl. “You had to go and be sweet and cute and just way too good to me!”

Marinette winces, but opens one eye to look up at the cat-themed superhero. 

“And I’m supposed to be in love with Ladybug! But, now I might be in love with you and I don’t know what to do with myself because you’re _amazing_ Marinette,” his words come out breathy and desperate. 

“Y-You’re in love with me?” Marinette splutters, shocked and happy and a little bit scared.

Chat lets out another growl, before grabbing both sides of her face and pressing his lips square against hers. Her squeak of surprise goes ignored by Chat, as he moves his mouth gently over hers. Marinette takes a moment before she melts into him, responding with some slight pressure of her own. Their teeth clack together periodically, but Marinette can’t help smiling against his lips because she never realized how much she really wants this. 

When they pull away, breathless and excited, Marinette tackles him with a hug. Her arms snake around his neck and she laughs with so much relief. 

“I didn’t want to say it before, because I was confused and scared,” Marinette begins, “but I’m in love with you too, _dumb cat_.”

”Really?” Chat asks, sounding so happy that the feeling is infectious. 

And then she pulls him in for another searing kiss. 

 

* * *

  

Marinette’s stuttering around Adrien disappears, and Chat’s flirting with Ladybug becomes non-existent. 

Neither one of them notice the longing glances that Adrien gives Marinette or the flirty remarks Ladybug gives Chat. 

Because in Paris there’s a girl on her balcony that’s in love, and there’s a boy coming to see her, who loves her back.

 _FIN_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any AU requests you’d like to see?


	2. Best Friends AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien comes to a realization concerning his “best friend”, and his timing couldn’t be worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a no kwami AU!

It’s the end of the day, and Adrien is putting his books in his locker when she sneaks up quietly behind him.

“Guess who?”

The young man smiles when a pair of hands rest in front of his eyes, and he hears the shuffling of feet as the person currently standing behind him pushes themselves up onto their tip-toes.

Without a doubt he knows who it is. He always knows who it is. 

“Hmm,” he hums, “could it be. . . Marinette?”

Suddenly, the hands in front of him are gone, and quiet giggling is all he can hear. He spins on one foot, turning back to look down at the petite girl he calls his best friend. 

Marinette grins. “How’d you know?” 

Adrien raises an eyebrow at her, because every time she tries to surprise him he knows it’s her. Without fail. 

“Your hands are tiny,” he teases, laughing when she scrunches up her nose in offense. Adrien makes a note to himself that she looks adorable with her nose scrunched up.

”You’re lucky I really like you,” Marinette tells him, crossing her arms across her chest with a pout. 

“I know,” he smiles back.

A look of disapproval flashes across her face before it’s quickly replaced by a smirk. 

“Bet I can get outside before you do!” Marinette shouts, before bolting down the hallway. 

Adrien shakes his head, but can’t help the chuckle that escapes him because his best friend is just too cute sometimes. 

He runs after her, not quite as fast, but enough to keep her within sight. 

Adrien watches as she turns her head back to glance at him, sticking her tongue out teasingly. The blonde lets out a short laugh, speeding up his jog. 

Things have always been like this, for as long as he can remember. Although, he feels like he’s constantly chasing after her, she’s always been his best friend, through thick and thin. And, he thinks of her as a star, one that seems to get brighter as time passes.

At seventeen years old she’s brighter than ever.

Marinette is still looking back at him when he sees a figure moving in front of her, and he can’t tell her to stop in time when she barrels into the oncoming person.

Adrien hears her squeak of fear, and he rushes to catch her as she falls in what seems like slow motion.

That is, until he realizes Marinette is currently not on the ground. Marinette actually has her arms wrapped around someone’s neck, her body being held by the stranger he thought she’d trucked through. 

Adrien’s feet skid to a halt, his eyes trying to catch up with his brain. 

There’s a boy, who looks their age, holding Marinette in what looks like a dip.  He frowns, slightly, when he notices the flush of her cheeks and the placement of the stranger’s hand at the small of her back.

“S-Sorry,” Marinette breathes, as Adrien wills his feet to move forward.

The stranger pulls her up, now resting his hands gently above her waist. Adrien gives him a quick-onceover, eyes snapping to the blue and black that makes up his hair and the look in his eyes. He looks taken with the girl in his arms, and for some reason, Adrien clenches his fists. 

“Marinette!” Adrien shouts, rushing over to pull her away from the other boy. 

He looks at her with concern. “Are you alright?” 

She scoffs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m fine, just my usual clumsiness kicking in again.” Marinette looks over her shoulder. “Besides, I was caught by, uh-“

”-Luka,” the stranger says, waving casually with a sweet smile. Adrien almost throws him a glare, but catches himself because he has no reason to feel angry. No reason at all.

”Thank you, Luka,” Marinette says, looking practically smitten. 

Luka snickers good-naturedly. “Looks like you fell for me, huh?”

Adrien freezes, because a joke like that sounds like something that would come out of his mouth. And it bothers him more than he’d like to admit.

”We should get going,” Adrien tells Marinette, grabbing her arm in an attempt to steer her out of the school. But, she keeps her feet planted, and proceeds to peel Adrien’s hand off of her.

”I’m Marinette,” his best friend chirps, extending a hand out towards Luka. 

Luka takes it graciously, while Adrien can do nothing but watch their fingertips brush and their hands hold each other. 

And they hold hands for a little too long for Adrien’s preferred comfort.

But, he ignores it when a feeling pools in the center of his stomach. Becasue he has no reason to feel different. 

“I hope to see you again, Marinette,” Luka gives her a wink.

 _No_ reason at all.

 

* * *

 

It’s been three three days. 

 _Three days_. 

72 whole hours, and Marinette has yet to stop talking about _Luka_.

Adrien likes to think he’s a somewhat patient person. He likes to listen, and of course he’s very attentive when Marinette is talking.

But, right now, Adrien wants to stick a piece of duct tape over her ~~pretty~~ obnoxious mouth. They’re sitting on the floor of her bedroom, and Marinette doesn’t seem to notice the bored look on her best friend’s face.

”Did you see the way he looked at me?” Marinette sighs, neglecting the boy grumbling a few feet away. 

The designer perks up. “And those beautiful _blue_ eyes that he has!”

Adrien suddenly feels self-conscious about the green of his irises. But, he shakes it off, becasue he knows he’s just being silly. 

“God, he was _so_ hot, an eleven out of ten,” Marinette whines, biting her lip in a way that starts to make Adrien extremely uncomfortable. He rolls his eyes behind her back, his patience wearing thin.

”There’s something about guys with dark hair too,” the baker’s daughter adds, with an awfully dreamy look in her eye. 

Adrien scowls. His full head of blonde hair seems to taunt him as she gushes about the dark shade of Luka’s. He blinks a few times, because he really shouldn’t feel anything in this moment. 

Yet, here he is, confused beyond belief.

”And, he caught me,” the girl excitedly squeals, “like something out of a romantic comedy!”

Adrien’s right eye twitches. “He wouldn’t have had to if you had been paying attention to where you were going.”

Marinette stills, a look of hurt on her face and Adrien wishes he’d never said anything at all. 

“What’s up with you?” Marinette asks, more concerned than annoyed. 

“My dad’s just being a jerk,” he lies, and it rolls off his tongue so easily. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

He waves her worry off casually, because he doesn’t know what else to do. Adrien can’t exactly explain why her talking about Luka annoys him so much, it just does.

And he hates it.

”We should probably get going,” Marinette changes the subject, getting up off the ground, “we don’t want to be late for school right?”

And Adrien is glad that she’s done talking about Luka for the moment, because he needs some time to think. . . About whatever it is that he’s feeling. 

So he smiles gratefully, and stands up to follow her. 

Then, his best friend looks down shyly in a way that makes Adrien’s heart flutter ever so slightly.

Marinette glances up at him, opening her mouth to say something. So he leans forward to listen.

“Do you think we’ll see Luka?”

Adrien internally screams.

 

* * *

 

They do see him. 

At the front of the school, sitting on the steps with a guitar in his lap. 

Marinette’s face lights up. Adrien’s mood plummets twenty stories. 

He stands still while Marinette tugs at his arm constantly, fangirling over a boy she just met three days ago. It’s almost enough to drive Adrien insane. 

Almost.

And then Luka spots Marinette, and he walks over to greet her. There’s a messenger bag slung over Adrien’s shoulder, and his grip on the strap is getting tighter and tighter with each step Luka takes towards Marinette. 

“I’ve been wanting to see you again,” Luka says, his guitar hanging loosely behind him. 

He watches as the designer lets out an unfamiliar girlish giggle, before reciprocating his line. The blonde tunes himself out of the conversation, knowing very well that he’s not a part of their little world. 

Politely he walks away from them, settling in front of the doors to wait for his best friend to finish her conversation. 

“Adrien,” a voice calls, feminine and cheery. He turns to see Rose standing behind him, with a troubled look on her face. 

“Oh hey Rose,” he greets, “what’s up?”

She fiddles awkwardly with her fingers before leaning in to whisper. 

“You do know that Luka is talking to Marinette right?”

Adrien furrows a brow. “Yes, I am quite well aware of the fact, why?”

”I just thought you wouldn’t like that,” Rose replies, “since you and Marinette are obviously both, um, you know. . .”

But he doesn’t know, and he’s getting lost when she doesn’t elaborate any further. So, he gives her a look that encourages her to continue. 

“Well, everyone knows that you and Marinette are, uh, kind of a _thing_ ,” Rose whispers secretively. 

He blanches.

”W-What did you say?”

”Most guys back off of Marinette because they know she’s into you,” the petite blonde girl explains. 

“Marinette and I are just friends,” Adrien tells her, starting to feel antsy talking about it. 

“Oh, but Marinette likes you,” Rose mutters, looking just as confused as Adrien in the moment. 

“What?!”

Rose jumps in surprise, his outburst scaring the poor girl.

”I could be wrong,” she squeaks, “based on the way she’s talking with Luka, it seems more like she’s into him.”

Adrien can’t help glancing over at the pair. And Marinette throws her head back, laughing at something Luka must’ve said. 

His jaw tightens. 

When Rose slips away, he can’t help wondering if it’s possible that in any universe, Marinette would have feelings for him. 

And he wonders why he cares. 

He _doesn’t_. 

 

* * *

 

He ignores everything Rose said for a good week. 

And then, Marinette has a date. 

And apparently, as her best friend it’s his duty to help calm her nerves because this is actually her first real date. She’s going on her first ever date with Luka. 

“Do you think I should show some cleavage?” Marinette asks from the back of her closet. 

Adrien nearly chokes. 

“E-Excuse me?”

”You’re right,” she sighs, “I don’t have the boobs for that.”

Adrien thinks his head is going to explode if she goes any further. 

“Your chest size isn’t really the problem,” he mutters to himself in frustration, but she doesn’t hear anything. 

A moment later she emerges from the closet wearing a short black dress that Adrien doesn’t want to admit he likes. It hugs her figure and clings to her curves.

But, it’s all for Luka.

Adrien watches as she scurries around the room, picking up jewelry and running her fingers through her loose hair. His hands twitch, an urge to run his own fingers through her hair forming within him. 

“I can’t believe I’m going on my first date with such a great guy,” Marinette gushes, spritzing perfume on herself. 

Adrien suddenly feels dread overcome him, and everything feels way too hot and much too small. 

“What are you talking about?” Adrien asks. “I’ve taken you out on plenty of dates.”

” _Friendly_ dates,” she corrects, “I’m talking about romantic dates with handholding and dinner and goodbye kisses that make you swoon.”

Her words feel like a punch to the gut, because what she says is the truth. And, the truth often hurts. But, something has been bothering Adrien for weeks now. Plaguing his mind and infecting all of his thoughts. 

Something inside of him tells him he needs to get it off his chest. That Adrien has to tell her something before it’s too late. But, his mouth isn’t sure of what to say to get this problem out of his life.

What do you say to a girl who’s been your best friend your whole life, who you suddenly see as something else?

“What if,” he gulps, heartrate speeding up rapidly, “what if I want those kinds of dates?”

Marinette doesn’t move. 

“Marinette, Luka is here!” Marinette’s mother calls, snapping them both out of their trance. 

“I don’t have time for your jokes, Adrien,” the designer chides, attempting to leave until Adrien grabs her arm. 

“It’s not a joke,” he assures her, a pleading look in his eyes that makes her suck in a breath. “I’ve been feeling weird these past couple weeks, and I don’t know why.”

The bluenette frowns. “What am I supposed to do about that?”

”I think it has something to do with Luka,” he admits.

Marinette’s eyes widen, her lips parting to gape in anxiety. She thinks he has to say more. But, Adrien is silent for the next minute.

”Is that all?” Marinette asks, trying to get down to the boy who’s taking her out tonight. 

“I-I just I don’t think you should go out with him-“

”Until you figure out what it is that you’re feeling, Adrien,” Marinette snaps, “I’m going to go out with Luka.”

And that feeling of dread comes back, but he does nothing as she disappears down the stairs, and he can do nothing but curse the swirling thoughts in his mind. 

Maybe, it has more to do with Marinette, and less to do with Luka. 

 

* * *

  

Adrien figures it out on a Friday afternoon, weeks after Marinette’s date with Luka. Since then she continues to go out with him, some even say they’re dating.

Adrien says they’re not.

Not officially at least, and if he has any say in it they never will be a real couple.

But, on that Friday afternoon, he sees Marinette and Luka holding hands in front of the school.

She no longer walks with Adrien these days, her new friend being a more preferable partner he supposes. The thought is enough to sadden him for the rest of the day.

The seventeen year old boy stares at his best friend, her head leaning lovingly against Luka’s shoulder, their hands intertwined intimately. 

His nails dig into the palm of his hands, and he sees that she looks so happy.

Adrien is usually the only one who can make her smile that wide and laugh that loud. A rumble forms in his throat, and a growl slips out of him.

The two of them look an awful lot like a happy couple.

He wishes he had a girlfriend. 

He wishes he had _Marinette_.

Wait. What?

”I want Marinette,” Adrien whispers, the realization hitting him like a smack to the face. All of the bad feelings, the confusing glares, the confusion in his mind. 

It’s all over now. 

Adrien had been jealous. 

He still is jealous.

The teen model takes a step forward, intending to let Marinette know exactly how he feels because he’s finally figured it out. She catches his eye, noticing his approaching figure. 

Adrien feels his heart pounding against his chest, and his feet are flying. 

Until, Luka swoops down to plant a kiss on Marinette’s lips. The designer is taken by surprise, but she quickly responds, much to Adrien’s disappointment. 

A jolt of pain goes through Adrien, and it feels like the world is closing in on him because the reality is, she doesn’t belong to him.

Adrien wants to hold her hand, and take her to dinner, and kiss her until she forgets the rest of the world because he knows now that he _loves_ her.

As her best friend he’s always loved her, but now Adrien has fallen so hard for this girl he’s known forever, but it had taken losing her for him to finally realize it.

And now he’s too late.

 

* * *

  

He finds refuge in the empty park across the street from her house. 

It’s close to midnight, and he slips his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt when the breeze blows past. 

Adrien is seated on the edge of the fountain, feeling miserable.

The young man can’t face her anymore, not when he knows he can’t be with her in the way he wants. But, she’s happy now, and what kind of best friend would he be to take that away from her?

He decided not to say anything, because their friendship is great and wonderful and Adrien hates it so much. 

There are quiet footsteps behind him, but he doesn’t react.

“Guess who?” 

Adrien doesn’t even have to move when a pair of hands cover his eyes. He knows who it is. He’ll always know who it is. 

And he wants nothing more than for her to leave him alone right now. 

“It’s you,” his voice breaks, “it’s always been you.” There’s a double meaning in his words, but she rushes to look at the sadness on his normally smug face. 

“Adrien?” Marinette calls. “Are you alright?”

Silence.

“What’s wrong?”

His hands are shaking now, and his tears eyes are blurring his vision. Adrien doesn’t want to see her, he wants her to leave, to disappear, to vanish. 

Because. . . Because it hurts him too much to see her. 

“I-I can’t,” he cries, “I can’t tell you.”

Her face softens. ”Adrien, you can tell me anything, we’re best friends.”

”What if that’s the problem?!” Adrien shouts, startling the baker’s daughter. 

Adrien struggles to find his voice. “What if I don’t want you to be my friend?” 

Marinette looks shocked, and puzzled because they’ve always been together, through thick and thin.

”I thought we were fine-“

“We’re not!” Adrien yells, tears spilling out of his eyes before he can try to hold them back. “Can’t you tell, Marinette?”

She frowns, unsure of what to say while Adrien looks so _broken_ beside her. 

“Does this have anything at all to do with Luka?”

Adrien lets out a laugh that reeks of self-deprecation. “It has _everything_ to do with Luka.”

”What did he do?”

The heartbroken young man runs his hands through his hair, entirely out of pure frustration. 

“I’m jealous, Marinette,” he admits, “of what Luka has that I can’t have.”

Her forehead creases, and Adrien knows she’s thinking that Adrien has every material possession he could possibly want. He knows that she still doesn’t get it, and he’s not sure if he ever wants her to understand. 

“I don’t think I get it,” she mumbles. 

Her obliviousness is getting to him, each and every moment just building up to a disaster waiting to happen. And, when she asks exactly what it is that Luka has, Adrien explodes.

”He has _you_ ,” the fragile teenager confesses, “and I’m the idiot who’s so in love with you that I can’t even stand to see you anymore because it hurts too much!”

Marinette looks at him sadly. ”Adrien, what is it that you want, exactly?”

He swallows a lump in his throat. “I want those romantic dates you used to talk about.”

”What?”

“I want to take you to dinner, and bring you flowers, and hold your hand, and kiss you until you can’t breathe anymore. I want the dresses you put on to be for me, and no one else. I want to mean everything to you because you mean. . . _everything_ to me.”

Adrien’s breathing is ragged now, his heart pounding in his ears because he’s just confessed to the love of his life.

He sighs in resignation. “I want _you_ , Marinette.”

Marinette is taken aback. “We’ve always been best friends-“

”I don’t want to be your _best friend_ , Marinette!” he yells. “I want to be your _boyfriend_.”

There’s a thick silence that envelopes them, alone in the park.

Marinette doesn’t say anything to him, but her face looks so conflicted that Adrien wishes he’d never said anything to her in the first place.

”I should go,” he says, turning to walk away. 

“You really love me?”

Adrien’s body goes rigid, and he cranes his neck back to look at the hopeful look on Marinette’s face. She almost looks happy to hear his confession, and that’s the part that confuses him the most. 

“I’ve always loved you,” he answers, frowning because his admission does not change the painful fact that she does not love him back. At least he thinks she doesn’t. 

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Adrien quickly shoots her a look of exasperation. 

“I didn’t come to terms with my own feelings until recently, but you’re happy with Luka and I don’t want to ruin-“

Marinette smiles sadly. “Always such a gentleman, Adrien.”

But, he doesn’t smile back, he can’t. 

“You’re too much of a gentleman,” Marinette mutters, “so much so that you’ve never even realized I’ve been in love with you for years.”

Adrien gapes. 

She snickers. “You think I’m the oblivious one?” 

“What about Luka?”

Marinette glances at the the ground, letting out a breath he didn’t know she was holding. 

“I have feelings for Luka too,” she admits, “and I accepted a while ago you would never feel the same way about me.”

”That’s obviously not the case anymore.”

”Maybe not, but I could learn to love him too,” Marinette tells him. “I’m torn.”

Adrien nods in understanding, fully aware that it wouldn’t be fair to expect her to run into his arms just because he wanted her to. 

“I’ll wait,” Adrien shrugs.

”Excuse me?”

He walks over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. 

“I’m willing to wait until you figure it out,” he explains, “just know that I’m always going to be your best friend.”

Then, Marinette grins, rushing into his arms for a tight hug. A hug that teeters on the edge of friendship and something more. 

“Thank you,” her voice mumbles into his chest. 

“Just, don’t get mad if I don’t exactly stick around when you and Luka are together.”

Marinette laughs. “Okay.”

Adrien smiles, squeezing her with just as much force because she loves him too. 

Even if he has to wait a thousand lifetimes for Marinette to be with him, he knows it’ll be worth it. 

 

* * *

 

Two months after his confession, and Marinette and Adrien are still great friends. They drift occasionally, him not wanting to see her with Luka anymore than he has to.

It’s the end of the day, and Adrien is putting his books in his locker when she sneaks up quietly behind him.

“Guess who?”

Adrien lips curve into a smirk, and he opens his mouth to say the same name he’s always said in this guessing game that belongs to them.

But, no hands come to cover his eyes, and instead he sees Marinette stand directly in front of him.

”Marinette,” he utters. 

The petite young woman shakes her head. “Nope, guess again.”

Adrien laughs, because that’s always been the right answer, and he isn’t sure of what to say now. 

Marinette rolls her eyes. “It’s not just Marinette, I have a title now.”

He looks down at her with skepticism evident on his face. “Marinette the klutz?”

”No.”

”Princess Marinette?”

”Nuh uh.”

”Marinette the beautiful?”

She shoots him a wink. ”Flattering, but not quite.” 

”I give up.”

Then, with a determined look in her eyes, Marinette grabs his face and pulls him down to capture his mouth in a sweet kiss. Her lips are soft and warm and better than he could’ve possibly imagined. 

And trust him, he’s definitely imagined.

He thinks it’s much too soon when she pulls away with a shy smile. 

“It’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she starts, “Adrien Agreste’s girlfriend.”

Adrien doesn’t pay attention to her words the first time. ”How was I supposed to guess that if it’s so long-“

Oh.

 _Oh_.

”Wait,” his eyes widen, “does this mean. . . ?”

Marinette glances away sheepishly. “I mean, that is, if this is something you still want.”

”You’re serious?”

“I’m sorry I took so long,” Marinette says, but Adrien stops her with a dizzying kiss that makes her cling to him in order to keep her legs from giving out. 

When he can’t breathe, he separates from her. “I told you I’d wait, didn’t I?”

Marinette nods, giggling adorably. 

“So Luka-“

”-knew that I wasn’t in love with him,” Marinette laughs, “and I knew too.”

”I love you,” Adrien whispers, resting his forehead against hers.

”I love you too,” she whispers back, as if they have their own little world together, alone in the empty halls of the school. 

And, while Marinette and Adrien have always been together, the sense of joy he feels in calling his best friend his girlfriend, is something no one can ever take away from him.

 _FIN_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol so I worked REALLY hard on this AU... and I hope you guys liked it!


	3. Soulmate Mark AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien is disappointed to find out Marinette is his soulmate. That is, until he realizes that she loves him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 4,000 words... this took me a long time so I hope you all enjoy it lol

It shows up during your eighteenth year. What day, week, or month it appears you never know. But, the mark shows up within those 365 days, sometimes when you least expect it.  

At eighteen years old, Adrien doesn’t want to think too hard about it. He’s almost sure that Ladybug is his soulmate, and all he needs is the mark to prove the fact.

But, he doesn’t expect to see his own soulmark when he goes to take a shower after his usual fencing practice. 

The model pulls his shirt over his head as he steps into the bathroom, tossing the article of clothing on the ground afterwards. Adrien almost doesn’t see it when he strides past the mirror, but something catches his eye and he turns to lean over the counter.

Adrien glances at the symbol on his chest, his reflection staring back at him from his bathroom mirror. It sits on the left hand side of his upper torso, the large design glaring at him as he looks at it. 

It’s a needle. 

A sewing needle with a string of thread going through the eye, and Adrien’s knows that hasn’t always been there. It puzzles him for a minute, before he realizes that this could be his soulmark. The one he’s been hoping will lead him to Ladybug. 

Obviously, it doesn’t. 

And Adrien feels the disappointment flood through his body. He wonders if she already knows who her soulmate is. Whatever the case, he knows it’s not him.  

He’s too sad to even think about what his soulmark means. 

 

* * *

 

It’s Marinette. 

He figures it out the next day, when he sees her sitting on the bench at school, with a needle in her hand along with what seems to be a shirt. 

He frowns a little. 

In truth there’s nothing wrong with Marinette, nothing at all. But, she isn’t Ladybug, and she isn’t the girl his heart belongs to. Yet, Adrien is pretty sure his soulmark points to her anyway.

His eyes can’t move away from the needle in her hand, the one that looks like the symbol on his chest. The model can see that she’s concentrated, fingers pulling the thread carefully and quickly. Sometimes Adrien thinks she becomes a whole different person when she’s sewing, and it’s interesting to watch her work. 

That’s when he starts to wonder if she’s gotten her soulmark yet. 

No.

The teenager remembers that her birthday hasn’t passed yet, and that she’s still seventeen. A breath of relief comes out of him, until he realizes he’s faced with the dilemma of letting her know he’s her soulmate, or keeping quiet until she gets her soulmark.

”You’ve been staring for an awfully long time,” a voice says, “you gotta thing for Marinette or something?”

Adrien flinches, and he knows it’s Alya, and he knows that he wishes he hadn’t been caught staring. He doesn’t want her to get the wrong idea.

”Hey Alya,” Adrien greets innocently, trying to calm the blush in his cheeks.

”Hi Adrien,” she chirps back, in a slow, deliberate way that teases him. 

“I was just, uh, thinking about how good Marinette is . . . with her hands,” he tells her, and it’s a second too late when he realizes how wrong that sounded. 

“How good she is with her hands?” Alya repeats, and Adrien laughs nervously.

Then he spots a dangerous twinkle in the blogger’s eye, a coy smile visible on her face. It’s enough to make Adrien squirm.

”Could you do me a favor, Agreste?” Alya asks, as innocently as she can. 

The blonde gulps, but nods anyway. 

“I was supposed to meet Marinette at the park, to return her sketchbook, later today,” the girl says. “But, my sisters need someone to take them to the zoo, so could you give it to her for me?”

”Sure,” Adrien replies, happy to help any friend in need. But even he notices the suggestive lilt in her tone.

”Alright, here’s the book,” Alya tells him, handing him the sketchbook. “Meet her at 4:00 sharp, got it?”

”Got it.”

 

* * *

 

Adrien realizes he doesn’t know that much about Marinette.

He knows she likes pink, that she’s Alya’s best friend, that she’s a little clumsy, that her parents are bakers, and that she’s good at playing video games. 

If you were to ask Adrien what he thought of Marinette, he supposed he’d just say she was a nice girl. But, he couldn’t say much more than that. 

It’s 4:00 when he strolls into the park, catching sight of her sitting on one of the benches near a large tree. With her sketchbook clutched in his hand, he strides towards the young girl with determination. Adrien decides he could use this opportunity to get to know his classmate. 

“Hi Marinette,” he greets. 

She looks surprised to see him, but a blush spreads through her cheeks and she can’t seem to get any words out for a good few seconds. 

“A-Adrien, see g-good to you,” she replies with an awkward wave. 

He raises a brow. 

“I mean, good to see you,” Marinette giggles nervously, her face redder and redder with each passing moment. 

“Alya wanted me to return your sketchbook for her,” he explains. “I hope you don’t mind that it’s me instead of her.”

Marinette perks up. “Of course not, I love you, uh, _your_ company.”

Adrien smiles gratefully, sitting down next to her, his hand passing the book to the young designer. She takes it slowly, flipping it open to skim through the pages. 

He catches a glimpse at some of the drawings inside. “Those are really good, Mari.” 

Her cheeks go red. “M-Mari?”

”Sorry,” Adrien blushes, “It just slipped out.”

”You’re fine!” Marinette shouts. “You can call me Mari if you want to.”

He smiles thankfully, leaning back on the bench while she does the same. There’s a considerable distance between them, one would think they were strangers. Adrien laughs at the irony because they’re soulmates who don’t even act like they like each other. 

The teen model wonders how soulmates who don’t love each other have dealt with these situations. He supposes you don’t have to marry your soulmate or anything, though it’s the most common relationship path.

Well, he sees no reason why they can’t be friendly soulmates. There’s hope for Ladybug and him yet! 

Except for the fact that she likes someone else too. 

“You look like you’re constipated,” Marinette says, before slapping a hand over her mouth. 

Adrien blushes crimson red. “What?”

”Oh my god,” she utters, “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

The blonde doubles over laughing, because no one has ever really jokingly insulted his face when he’s been Adrien. 

“That was pretty funny,” he tells her, much to her complete shock. 

“But it was so rude.”

”You’re a good person Marinette, I know you didn’t mean it like that,” Adrien shrugs. “Besides, it was probably true since I was thinking a little too much.”

She tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “What were you thinking about?”

A defeated sigh comes out of him. “A girl.”

Marinette tenses beside him, fingers tightening their hold on her sketchbook. Adrien notices her odd behavior, but doesn’t question it. 

“You like someone?” Marinette asks.

”I’m pretty sure I love her,” he responds. “But, it’s kind of a secret.”

She looks like she’s shaking, and it takes all of her strength to hold in the tears that want to spill out. Marinette can feel the ache in her chest when the first crack in her heart forms. 

Adrien isn’t really sure why he’s telling his soulmate that he likes another girl, maybe it’s because he already knows Marinette doesn’t like him. Given her awkward and distant behavior when he’s around. 

“I bet she’s pretty,” her voice cracks. 

“She is,” Adrien agrees, “but she likes someone else.”

”Oh?”

”It just hurts a little bit,” he croaks. “Or a lot.”

”I know what you mean,” Marinette smiles weakly, shuffling her feet on the ground.

Adrien blinks in surprise. “You do?” 

The twin-tailed girl nods, breathing heavier than normal. “I definitely know how it feels to love someone who doesn’t love you back.”

“Is there a guy you . . . ?”

Marinette nods. 

“I guess we’re in this together, huh?”

She swallows a thick lump in her throat, her hands clenching and unclenching because she can’t find anything to say. 

Adrien notes her discomfort, but he’s really unsure of what he said to make the mood shift so drastically. So he clears his throat and looks up at the clouds in the sky. 

“She’s an idiot,” Marinette laughs, but the sadness behind her cheery facade is obvious for once. 

“Pardon?”

”Whoever this girl is, who doesn’t love you back,” his classmate explains, “she’s an idiot.”

Adrien’s throat goes dry, and his palms begin to sweat. He doesn’t know why, but something about what she said makes him feel oddly nervous. 

“Thank you for saying that,” he smiles, “but she’s way out of my league.”

Marinette playfully punches his shoulder. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, slick.” 

Adrien is shocked at how her dismal mood has created a confident attitude within the usually shy girl. Maybe, maybe she isn’t as shy as he thinks.

Adrien unconsciously scoots closer. “I’m serious Mari, this girl is perfect!”

She blushes at the nickname, but tries her best hide the shattering blow he’s unknowingly given to her heart. 

“Nobody is perfect,” Marinette argues. 

Adrien laughs. “You’re right, but I’m pretty sure she’s perfect for me. At least, I used to be.”

Marinette leans in. “What happened?”

”There’s someone else that she’s interested in.”

The bluenette bites her lip before saying, “I’m sorry.”

Adrien waves her apology off good-naturedly. “It’s not your fault.”

Marinette fiddles with her hands, looking at the book in her lap. He wonders if her situation is similar to his, but he realizes that if Marinette is in love with someone else, she wouldn’t want him to be her soulmate either. 

“Any girl would be lucky to have you,” he hears her say under her breath, “you know that right?”

When he doesn’t reply, she takes a deep breath before continuing. “You’re one of the kindest people I know, you’re sweet and funny, and smart, and caring and she’s missing out on an incredible guy.”

The soulmark on his chest feels like it’s moving in time with his heartbeat, almost as if it’s aware of Marinette’s presence. Or maybe his heart is making him aware of the way he feels. But, he doesn’t really know what he’s feeling in this moment. 

“If it were me,” Marinette starts, before standing up and looking straight at him. “I would feel like the the luckiest girl in the whole world because Adrien Agreste, you are amazing.”

He goes slack-jawed. In complete and utter shock of the fond words his classmate has just given him. Adrien had always assumed she didn’t like him, but from the way she’s speaking it seems like she maybe even loves him. 

Then it hits him like a slap to the face. 

She _loves_ him.

The guy she loves is him. 

And they’re soulmates. 

And Adrien just talked to Marinette about another girl he was in love with. He feels like an idiot when he can’t close his mouth or move from his frozen position.

”Mari-“

”Thanks for the sketchbook,” she chirps with fake pep. “See you tomorrow.”

And he watches her leave without another word.

 

* * *

 

Adrien realizes he knows a lot more about Marinette than he thought. If he’d put any effort into describing her he’d find out she’s a wonderful girl. 

For one thing, he knows she’s recklessly brave, given their encounters during akuma attacks. Adrien also knows that she’s kind, when she’d wanted to cheer up Mylene when Chloe had caused her to run off to the bathroom.

She’s smart, when she’d helped him escape from his crazed fans that day. And she’s talented, she’d won his father’s derby hat competition. 

He doesn’t have to mention the fact that she’s gorgeous. Dazzling blue eyes and cute freckles dusted across the bridge of her nose. 

Adrien knows all of those things. 

But, he doesn’t know why he’s standing at her doorstep at 6:00 on a Saturday evening, fixing his hair. 

Well, he does actually. Adrien plans to tell her that he’s her soulmate and she’s his. But, the teenager had wanted to tell her in private. He supposes it’s sort of like a date. 

A friendly one, of course.

Because Adrien doesn’t understand much past friendship with Marinette.

It’s been two days since their conversation in the park, and the young man has been anxious to talk to her.

The door swings open with alarming speed, and standing in the doorway is Marinette’s dad. He towers over Adrien, and the teen model feels like an ant looking up at a giant. 

The baker looks at Adrien for a second, before breaking out in a grin and wrapping the boy in a hug. 

“Adrien, good to see you son!”

”Good to see you too, Mr. Dupain-Cheng,” the blonde manages to say. 

“Call me Tom, please,” Tom says. “What can I do for you?”

”Well Tom,” Adrien gulps, “I was actually looking for Marinette.”

He anticipates a lecture, a comment, or some angry remark. But Tom smiles, and grins like he’s happy to hear that Adrien wants to see his only daughter.

”Marinette!” Tom shouts. “A very nice boy is here to see you!”

He hears footsteps pounding on the steps, until Marinette steps into view in an oversized sweatshirt that slips off one of her shoulders and leggings.

Adrien sucks in a breath. 

Her hair is tied up in a sleek ponytail that shows off her long face, with a few strands left out to frame it. 

“Adrien,” Marinette breathes, stopping in her tracks at the sight of him. 

“Hey Mari,” he greets, giving a small wave.

Tom gives the two of them a teasing look. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

And when her father leaves the room, Adrien feels his nerves calm down slightly. Marinette herself is still making him nervous, now that he knows she loves him. Or, at least he’s pretty sure she does.

Adrien plans to find out, and what he does after that is something he’s still unsure of.

”Can I help you with something?” Marinette asks quietly, pulling at her sleeves.

“Yes actually,” he replies, “I was wondering if you’d like to go for a walk?”

Her eye widen. ”Right now?” 

Adrien blushes. “If you’re busy or something then-“

”No!” Marinette shouts. “I was just, surprised, that’s all.”

”Oh.”

”I would love to go for a walk,” she tells him, starting towards the doorway. “Is there a reason for this though?”

Adrien nods, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah, I kinda need to tell you something.” Her attention is captured, but she doesn’t respond.

Then, surprisingly, Marinette grabs his hand and pulls him outside. 

“Then we better get walking.”

 

* * *

 

They stop at the front of the school on the way back to her house. It had been a short fifteen minute walk, and Adrien suggested they stop for a moment.

Marinette agreed, sitting down before giving him an expectant look.

“I’m not really sure how to say this,” Adrien hesitates, because their walk had consisted of friendly conversation that was really just avoiding his main point. 

“I’m sorry,” Marinette whispers. “About what I said the other day.”

Adrien blinks. 

“If I made you uncomfortable with what I said, just forget about it. Please.”

He shakes his head. “No, it was actually pretty flattering.”

She blushes.

”What I wanted to tell you,” Adrien begins, “is that something happened to me recently.”

”O-Okay.”

Marinette looks confused, and it’s understandable because Adrien can’t seem to make sense of what he wants to say at all. He sits down beside her, tapping his foot anxiously on the step his foot is resting on. 

“I got my soulmark,” Adrien finally breathes. 

“Oh,” she says, “congratulations.” 

“It was a sewing needle, and thread.” 

Her eyes look sad, and he starts to think she doesn’t understand what he’s actually hinting at. 

“You sew, right?” 

Marinette’s stare is blank now. “Me? Oh yeah, all the time.” 

The teen model can see that he hasn’t quite explained everything, and that if he doesn’t get it out soon she’ll never understand. In all honesty he doesn’t really understand either. Feeling frustrated, Adrien turns to look at her, and she looks back at him. He grabs Marinette’s hands in his own, and she turns so red he thinks she looks a little bit like Ladybug. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Adrien says with confidence in his tone. “You’re my soulmate.”

There is a thick silence, it seems to stretch for hours as he sits there, holding her hands and staring at her. 

“I’m y-your s-soulmate?” Marinette repeats, looking like she’s just been slapped across the face. 

Adrien simply nods. “Please don’t be mad. I know you’re not eighteen yet, but I felt wrong keeping it from you.”

Her expression softens. “Of course I’m not mad. I love you.”

“What?”

“Since you’re my friend!” Marinette yelps. “I love all of my friends, including you because you’re my friend.”

His classmate buries her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

Her explanation for her slip up is forced and hard to believe, but Adrien doesn’t know for sure whether or not the guy she loves is him. He just has a sneaking suspicion that it could be, and it scares him as much as it excites him. There’s a thought lingering in his head, a thought that says being loved by Marinette would be nice. 

“He’s an idiot,” Adrien sighs, taking a page out of Marinette’s book.

She lifts her face out of her palms. “Excuse me?”

”The guy that doesn’t love you back is an absolute idiot that doesn’t own half a brain.” 

Marinette snorts, and Adrien has a secretive smile playing at his lips because he’s talking about himself. But, he’s not wrong about the idiot part. Marinette is a great girl, and he just wishes that he loved her too. 

“I know for a fact that you own more than half a brain, Adrien.”

He freezes, because what she’s just said has confirmed what he’s been suspecting. An indirect confirmation of the fact that he is indeed that guy she’s in love with. The one who’s caused her so much grief with her heart. 

She pulls her hands away from his, resting them in her lap. “Since I know you’re interested in someone else, I don’t see a point in keeping it a secret from you.”

”Keeping what a secret?”

Marinette gives him a look. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”

”I want to hear you say it.”

Adrien isn’t even sure why he wants to hear those words come out of her lips. He isn’t sure why he wants her to bear her soul to him when he can’t say anything back. It’s selfish and reckless and he wants to hear Marinette say it anyways. 

She doesn’t say anything, and it kills Adrien inside. 

“You’re cruel,” Marinette laughs, a terribly sad smile on her face. 

“I’m sorry Mari,” he sighs. “I don’t want to pressure you into this.”

The designer gives him a sideways glance, and he thinks he sees her eyes flicker down to his lips. His heart slams against his chest, his palms begin to sweat, and Adrien swallows a lump in his suddenly dry throat. 

“You love someone else,” she states. 

“I do,” he agrees. 

“But,” Marinette adds. 

He raises a brow. “But?”

Then, she cups his face in her hands. Her soft, slightly cold, delicate hands. Adrien can’t move, he’s frozen when she looks at him in the moonlight. Her beautiful blue eyes giving him feelings he doesn’t want to admit he has. 

 _She’s not Ladybug_ , he tells himself. 

“But if I don’t do this,” Marinette whispers, “I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

And then she’s leaning in, tilting her head and puckering her pretty pink lips enough to make Adrien want her so bad.

 _She’s not Ladybug_. 

“If you want me to stop just say the word,” Marinette tells him, but he feels her breath mingling with his. 

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

“Please don’t stop,” Adrien begs, his eyes starting to flutter shut when she gets agonizingly close. 

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

Pure bliss. 

Adrien feels like he’s in heaven when Marinette’s lips touch his. Her mouth is soft and sweet and he can’t believe what an idiot he is. He responds, by gently pressing his lips against hers, the mutual kiss better than anything he could’ve imagined. 

It feels like mere seconds have passed when she pulls away. He sees that Marinette has tears in her eyes that reflect the stars in the sky and Adrien thinks she’s beautiful.

”I love you,” she breathes. 

Adrien stills, shocked to hear those three special words come out of her when he never expected her to admit it. His heart soars, and his head spins because Marinette loves him and it’s so hard to believe that he thought she hated him.

But it saddens him because he knows he can’t say it back.

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

”Marinette, what are we?” Adrien asks, desperation oozing from his voice. 

She keeps her hands on his face and proceeds to rest her forehead against his comfortingly. “What we’ve always been.”

”What do you mean?”

”I’m so so happy you’re my soulmate, Adrien,” Marinette whispers hoarsely, attempting to hold back her tears. “But soulmates can just be friends.”

He doesn’t respond. 

“Besides,” she adds, “I’ve always been ‘just a friend’ anyway.”

Adrien feels his heart start to hurt, and it confuses him because he shouldn’t be the one hurting. He wonders what kind of pain she feels, and he wonders why she loves him in the first place.

”I’m so sorry,” his voice breaks. “I’m such an idiot, Marinette.”

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

Marinette pulls away, and he misses her warmth when her hands leave his face too. “I needed this, and eventually I’ll get over you.” 

Adrien feels his eyes watering, and that rotten feeling in his core is eating him up because she’s such a great girl. 

 _She’s not Ladybug_. 

Marinette stands up, starting down the steps to walk back home. And he feels his resolve breaking down, and Adrien really wants to cry. He tries to imagine a world without her, without Marinette the klutz, without Marinette the brave, without Marinette the beautiful. 

Without Marinette, his soulmate.

Adrien’s heart breaks a little more.

He sees her stop and look over her shoulder. “Thank you,” Marinette smiles, a depressing smile that he hates seeing. “for giving me one moment to be with you.”

Something in him snaps. 

In a blazing second he’s grabbing her wrist and pulling her back and capturing her lips in a bruising kiss that takes her breath away. Adrien is trying to tell her how he feels, tell her all the things he doesn’t even know himself, tell her that she’s too good for him. Marinette kisses him back eagerly, her hands finding a place in his hair while his hands rest gently on her hips.

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

No, she’s not Ladybug. But she’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng and she’s just as wonderful and amazing and he thinks that maybe she’s more than just a friend.

There is fire and passion and feeling when he keeps on kissing her, almost like he wants her to forget about the rest of the world, forget about the other girl. Adrien wants her to fall in love with him all over again because he can tell he’s falling in love with her. 

When he reluctantly removes his mouth from hers she looks surprised and very thoroughly kissed. 

“I don’t want you to get over me, and I don’t want you to think that I just want us to be friends,” Adrien tells her. “Because that’s not what I want, not anymore.”

Marinette’s lip starts to tremble. 

“I used to think you were a shy girl that hated my guts,” he laughs, “but that’s only because I never made an effort to see who you really were.”

”Adrien-“

”And now I know that you’re way too good for me. But, you love me anyway and I know that I really really like you.”

“Adrien, what are you saying?” Marinette asks, as if she thinks she’s in a dream.

He pulls her into a hug. “I’m saying that we’re soulmates for a reason, and that I’m sorry it took me so long to figure out how you felt.”

And then she hugs him back, crying into his shoulder. “What about the girl that you-“

”I don’t care anymore,” Adrien cuts her off. “I just, I want to be with you, Marinette.”

She pulls back to look up at his dazzling green eyes, but a dismal look is all he sees on Marinette’s face. “Sorry Adrien, but you’re just a friend.”

Adrien blinks. “What?”

Marinette laughs. “I’m kidding! That’s payback for all the friendzoning I’ve had to endure.” 

“I deserved that,” he agrees.

And then she stands up on her tip-goes to press her mouth against his in a slow, passionate kiss. 

He chases after her lips when she detaches herself from him. 

“We’re soulmates,” Marinette giggles, bumping his nose with her own.

 _She’s not Ladybug_.

No, she’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and she’s his soulmate.

Adrien starts to think she might even be better than Ladybug.

 

* * *

 

“So who was this girl that you loved anyway?”

”Marinette, it’s not important.”

”Oh come on, Adrien we’ve been together for a month now.”

”It’s embarrassing, okay?”

”I won’t laugh, I promise!”

”Really?”

”Soulmate’s honor.”

”Fine, but you can’t tell anyone.”

”I’m your girlfriend, I’m not going to tell anybody.”

”This is gonna sound weird, but . . . It was Ladybug.”

” . . . “

”Marinette?”

” . . . “

”Sweetheart are you okay?”

”Holy sh-“

 _FIN_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Favorite parts? AU requests that you absolutely wanna see? I would love to take requests if you’ve got one!


	4. Reverse Soulmate Mark AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Marinette got her soulmate mark first?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love this AU and wanted to try a Marichat version of it instead! Hope you enjoy :)

It’s a cat. 

The symbol sits on her wrist, taunting her with it’s green eyes that give her some sense of familiarity.

At eighteen years old, Marinette knows immediately what it is. 

This is her soulmark, something she’s been waiting for her whole life. And so far the experience is severely underwhelming. She’d simply gone to wash her hands after helping her parents out in the bakery, but she didn’t realize what she thought was a dirt smudge, was actually the mark that was going to lead her to her soulmate.

She was hoping, with every fiber of her being, that it would lead to Adrien Agreste. The boy she’s madly in love with. 

But Marinette is almost certain this black cat has nothing to do with Adrien at all. The young girl doesn’t even want to think about who her soulmate really is.

A voice inside her head tells her that she knows who it is, who it leads to. But, in her dismal state she decides just to go to bed and hope this is all one big dream.

Or maybe a nightmare.

 

* * *

 

It’s Chat Noir. 

Her pun-loving, flirtatious, dork of a partner. 

She facepalms when she figures it out. And Chat Noir can tell something is off when she meets him for patrol the very next day. 

“Are you alright, M’lady?” Chat asks, peering at her with concern that she certainly doesn’t want. 

“I’m fine,” she lies, “let’s just get this over with.” The words come out bitter, much harsher than she inetended, but her bad mood stops her from caring. 

Ladybug misses the hurt look on his face when she swings away to finish up the job they came to do.  

Of course there’s nothing _wrong_ with Chat Noir per se, it’s just that she’s never seen him as anything more than a friend. And she doesn’t want her soulmark telling her she has to change that. Or maybe she’s just sad that it’s not Adrien she gets to spend the rest of her life with. 

When the superheroes finish, Marinette barely waves goodbye to Chat before going straight home to let out her frustration by screaming into her pillow.

 

* * *

 

Marinette goes to school wearing long sleeves that stretch out to the palms of her hands. 

The last thing she needs is for Alya to see the soulmark and freak out on her. Especially since Marinette knows how invested her best friend is in the heroes of Paris. 

And Marinette is almost successful in getting through the day until the room feels hotter than normal, and the designer rolls her sleeves up. The shriek comes before she can pull anything back down. 

“Marinette!” Alya screeches. “Is that your soulmark?! What the hell, why didn’t you say something?” 

 _Because of situations like this_ , Marinette thinks to herself, but to Alya she simply stays silent. 

At this point, she’s pretty sure the whole class is looking at her, eyes glued to the interaction between Alya and herself. And she can see Adrien out of the corner of her eye, glancing curiously at the two girls behind him. 

“Alya please-“

”It’s a black cat too!” Alya shouts.

Marinette hopes her best friend doesn’t make the connection. 

“Your soulmate is Chat Noir?!” 

The entire room gasps, and Marinette wishes their teacher wasn’t in the bathroom right now. But the damage is done, and she see Adrien visibly flinch. She avoids his gaze when he whips around to gape at her and Alya. 

“Oh _puh_ -lease,” Chloe sneers, directing her attention at the bluenette. “I can’t believe you’d lie just to get attention, Mari- _trash_.”

Marinette clenched her fists by her side, shooting daggers into Chloe’s skull. 

“I’m not lying,” she tells the mayor’s daughter. 

Chloe looks unconvinced, but then her lips curl into a devious smirk that can only mean bad things for Marinette. 

“You know what? I believe you,” Chloe says innocently. 

Marinette blinks. 

“Because the only person low enough to go for someone like you is that poor excuse for a superhero, _Chat Noir._ ”

_SLAM!_

Marinette pounds her fist into the desk before standing up, silencing everyone in the room. 

“You are a spoiled, self-centered, _diva_ ,” Marinette seethes. “And you have no right to criticize someone who continues to save your _ungrateful_ ass over and over again.”

The blonde doesn’t look fazed. 

“Chat Noir is a terrific hero, and a _wonderful_ person, and if you’re too stupid to see that then you’re dumber than I thought,” the girl finishes, sitting back down quietly. 

“From what I hear it sounds like you might have a crush on this _wonderful_ person,” Chloe says. “And here I was thinking you were still madly in love with-“

Marinette panics. “Stop!”

”-Adrien.”

Marinette’s blood runs cold, and her throat closes up instantly. How could she say that? Right in front of him. 

The designer can’t bear to even glance in Adrien’s direction, though she knows he’s looking at her right now. He probably pities her because of how pathetic she looks. 

And then Miss Bustier walks in, and Marinette can do nothing but hold back the tears threatening to spill out of her. 

 

* * *

 

“I’m so sorry, Marinette!” Alya says over the phone for the tenth time. 

“It’s okay,” she assures her best friend, “I know you just got caught up in the moment.” 

“Do you want me to come over to help cheer you up?” Alya asks, sounding hopeful and a little bit sad. 

“No thanks, I actually think I’d like to be alone right now.”

”Oh, okay. Well call me if you want some company, okay?” 

“Okay,” Marinette replies, before hanging up and tossing her phone onto her bed. 

She buries her face in her hands, barely seeing the moonlight spilling in through the skylight up above her room. The past couple days have been rough, to say the least, and Marinette doesn’t know what she plans to do. 

She doesn’t exactly want to tell Chat they’re soulmates, but wouldn’t it be wrong to keep it from him?

The tapping at her skylight draws her attention away from her thoughts. Much to her surprise, she sees Chat’s innocent face peering down and looking back at her. 

She climbs out through her trapdoor to greet him. 

“Chat?” Marinette asks. “What are you doing here?”

”I’m here to cheer you up!” Chat replies, offering an awkward smile. 

She raises a questioning brow. “How’d you know I needed cheering up?” 

“A little birdie may have told me what happened in class today,” Chat admits, blushing underneath the black of his mask. 

“Does this birdie have a name?”

Chat shakes his head.

Marinette frowns. “So I’m guessing you know about . . . me?”

For some reason she can’t being herself to say it to him. 

“That you’re my soulmate?” The superhero supplies, and she nods in response. Silence passes between them, and Marinette doesn’t like it. It’s thick and uncomfortable and unfamiliar. 

“Are you disappointed?” Chat suddenly whispers, ears dropping and eyes glued to his feet. 

Marinette blinks in surprise. She didn’t realize how Chat would feel about all of this. She didn’t realize she could be hurting his feelings with her lack of enthusiasm. Staring at his sullen expression she finally understands how rude she’s been about this whole situation. She never wants him to think he will ever be a disappointment to her or to anyone. 

“I could never be disappointed in you, Chat Noir,” she assures him, smiling when his ears perk up significantly. 

“Y-You’re not?”

Marinette shakes her head before sighing in resignation. “I kind of have a huge crush on this guy in my class, and I was just hoping he would be my soulmate you know? But I’m not disappointed in you at all.”

Chat looks shocked, but he quickly gains composure. “You have a crush on someone in your class?”

She laughs. A light and cute giggle that actually makes Chat smile in awe at how adorable she is. Of course, Marinette doesn’t notice that part. 

“Yep,” the twin-tailed girl admits, “and I was completely humiliated in front of him today.” 

“Princess,” Chat coos, “I’m sure you were perfectly graceful and calm.”

”Good one, Minou,” she scoffs. 

“If it helps, I understand how having unrequited feelings makes you crazy,” he sighs wistfully. 

“No way,” Marinette says, “a handsome tomcat like you?”

She doesn’t really know where it’s coming from when she lets the comment slip out. If anything it sounds an awful lot like she’s flirting with him. And he seems to think the same thing when he coughs and blushes at her words. 

“Well, this girl is way out of my league. And I’m starting to think I just annoy her,” Chat explains, frowning with a slight pout that makes Marinette want to wrap him in a big hug. 

“I’m sure that’s not true,” the bluenette assures him. “Any girl would be lucky to have you, Chaton.”

”Tell Ladybug that,” he laughs, but Marinette stops smiling. 

“You’re in love with Ladybug?”

”I thought the entire city of Paris knew that,” Chat Noir jokes, oblivious to her mental freak out.

His confession is shocking and not, all at the same time. 

She recalls how withdrawn and cold she’d been at their last patrol, and understands why Chat feels like such a burden when really Marinette is the one that needs an adjustment. 

“I’m sure you don’t annoy her, Kitty,” the baker’s daughter tells him. “Maybe she’s just going through some stuff right now.”

”Thanks for the encouragement, Princess. But, what about your guy?”

”What about him?”

”Does he know how you feel?”

Marinette goes silent, fingers fiddling nervously. “No, he doesn’t. He likes to constantly remind me that I’m a great friend though.”

Chat winces. “Ooh, that’s gotta hurt.”

Marinette nods. “Like you would not believe! Adrien is the literal king of friendzoning.”

”Adrien?!” Chat yelps. 

The young girl eyes him suspiciously. “Uh yeah, famous model? Out of my league too, you know.”

”I didn’t realize you had a crush on m- him,” Chat said sadly. 

“How could you?” Marinette asked. “Besides it’s not your fault he doesn’t love me too.”

For a good minute Chat just stares at her, stunned into silence until he finally speaks up. 

”Some guys are just too dumb to see when something amazing is right in front of them,” Chat tells her, looking down into her eyes so fondly she has to fight the pink blooming in her cheeks. 

“Thank you, Chat,” she smiles gratefully, and they never break eye contact. 

“No problem, _purr_ -incess.” His hand reaches out to gently tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. And the gesture is so intimate that she completely overlooked the pun he made right before. 

When he hears her quiet gasp, Chat yanks his hand away like he’s been burned. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry Marinette. I just thought, uh, I mean I wasn’t thinking, and then you and I-I think I’m just gonna . . . stop talking now.”

”It’s okay,” she giggles, and Chat can only blush. 

Suddenly, her fingertips brush against his cheek before they gently push back some of his own hair over his ear. He closes his eyes when her hand makes contact with his skin, and it feels so romantic for some reason. 

Marinette doesn’t really know why she chose to do it, because she could’ve just laughed and moved on with their conversation. But, when her hand pulls away she looks up at him through a heavy lidded gaze. She notices the subtle way his pupils dilate. 

“Now we’re even,” Marinette whispers, smiling softly and sweetly at the boy looking down at her.

The gorgeous jade of his irises can’t seem to look anywhere but her face.

”You’re so beautiful,” he mumbles in a daze. 

“What?”

Chat panics. “I mean, no you’re not! I mean, you _are_ beautiful I just wasn’t supposed to say that- wait I mean, _shit_. I meant _shoot_! Oh, fuck.”

”It sounds like you’re complimenting me,” she hums, enjoying his flustered state. 

Chat Noir clears his throat. “Would you slap me if I did?” 

Marinette laughs. “Why would I do that?”

He shrugs shyly. “It just seems like something Ladybug would do.” 

The young girl frowns, wishing she could make her partner realize how much he actually means to her. 

“Well, I’m not Ladybug now am I?” Marinette internally cringes at the irony because she literally is Ladybug. 

But, Chat smiles warmly back at her. “No, you’re not Ladybug. You’re my Princess.”

Her blushing intensifies. “Well this princess will accept your compliments whenever they are given.” 

 _What are you doing_? 

Marinette is scolding herself for flirting so blatantly with her partner when her heart belongs to someone else. But, standing here in the moonlight, with Chat Noir. For once she actually doesn’t want to be with Adrien instead. 

“Is that so?” Chat smirks, taking a small step towards her. “If that’s the case then, I’d like to properly tell you that . . . you’re beautiful, Marinette.”

Hearing him say it again makes butterflies erupt in her stomach, wreaking havoc on her poor beating heart. 

“That’s pretty forward of you to say, Chat Noir,” her tone is teasing, but her heart is pounding in her ears. 

“I’m only telling the truth,” he winks, and she playfully pushes him back by the nose. 

“You are a world class _flirt_ ,” Marinette chides, but her grin gives away how much she actually likes this attention. 

It’s hard to appreciate how sweet and funny someone is when you’re under the pressure of saving lives. 

“Princess, are you embarrassed?” 

She stiffens, trying her best to deny that she is in fact embarrassed. Hoping to make him eat his words she musters as much fake confidence as she can. 

 _Two can play at this game_ , she thinks.

”Of course not,” Marinete scoffs. “In fact, I was just going to say that you’re devastatingly handsome.” 

Chat ends up laughing instead of blushing, and it makes Marinette puff her cheeks out in a huff. 

“Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t we?” Chat waggles his brows. 

She decides to step it up a notch, showing him she can be serious and flirty and make him squirm. 

“I think,” Marinette whispers, taking a tentative step forward, “that you just don’t know how good-looking you are.”

She hears his sharp intake of breath, and she smirks to herself at the small victory. Her hand reaches out to stroke his hair slowly and intimately, causing him to freeze where he stands. 

Marinette starts to wonder if she’s doing this just for the fun of it, or if . . . if she really wants to have some sort of _romantic_ effect on him. Maybe she wants to be with him. 

Wait, what?

”Chaton,” she muses, ignoring her conflicting thoughts. “I don’t think you know the . . . _effect_ you have on me.”

He shudders. 

“You’re pretty good at this, Princess,” Chat admits, and she’s about to pull away triumphantly until he grabs her wrist with catlike speed. Marinette is shocked to say the least. 

The leather clad boy smirks. “But, I’m better.”

And then his pupils are dilated and his eyes have darkened to a new level she’s never seen, not even as Ladybug.

He takes her wrist, and gently pulls her body against his, the closeness something new and exciting and a little bit scary. Marinette’s breathing is heavy when he takes two fingers to lift her chin up to look straight into his beautiful green eyes. 

“Did you really think you could beat me at my own game?” Chat asks, pursing his lips in mock disapproval. 

He’s so close, close enough to the point where she could easily lean up and kiss him. Not that she wants to, this is just harmless teasing between friends. Though the heat in her core seems to say otherwise.

And then suddenly he’s frowning, losing the flirty personality and becoming serious. Which is unusual for Chat Noir. 

“Marinette I,” he audibly swallows, “I think I want to kiss you.”

The bluenette gasps, because Chat Noir actually wants to kiss her. And she’s not opposed to the idea, not in the slightest. He’s wonderful, and sweet, and caring, and so much better than she ever realized. But there’s something nagging in the back of her mind.

”What about Ladybug? Don’t you love her?” 

Chat sighs. “I do. But, Marinette being here with you right now, I don’t think it’d take much for me to fall in love with you too.”

Her heart skips a beat.

”Chat,” she breathes. 

He rests his forehead against hers. “Please tell me you feel the same way, because if not I can leave and pretend this never happened.”

”Could you really?”

”No,” he admits. “I think I’d still find myself falling in love with you anyway.”

Marinette knows this wasn’t supposed to happen, he was supposed to drop by and maybe tell her a joke to make her smile. But he’s done much more than that. And she has to admit she likes it. All of it.

”I think . . . I think I want to kiss you too, Chat.”

He gets closer. Impossibly close.

”And Adrien?” Chat asks, insecurity evident in his voice. “You won’t regret this, will you?”

“I’d never regret you,” Marinette says, before standing on her toes to close the distance between them. 

And she melts into him for the rest of the night. 

 

* * *

  

“I love you.”

”I love you more, Chat.”

”I love you _most_ , Princess.”

”Why don’t we just agree to disagree?”

”You’re perfect.”

”Chat stop tickling me!”

”I can’t help it, you make the cutest sounds.”

”S-Shut up!”

”Adrien’s an idiot.”

”Not a bigger idiot than Ladybug.”

”Aren’t we the lucky ones?”

”That we are, Minou.” 

 _FIN_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the Marichat version or the Adrienette version more? I’m pretty biased I don’t know if you can tell lol. Please comment and tell me what you thought!


	5. Delivery Guy AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette falls in love with a pizza delivery boy, and goes through desperate measures to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve kinda had this sitting around for a while and I thought it was cute so I hope you enjoy :)

“Marinette sweetie, is there a reason why you're sitting on the floor, surrounded by what looks like twenty unopened pizza boxes?"

A twenty-four year old Marinette snaps her gaze up to her best friend, standing in the doorway with an amused expression on her face. Alya steps inside of their shared apartment, pulling her keys out of the lock and tossing them onto the kitchen counter a few feet away.

"Shush," Marinette flails her arms around, "I'm trying to order another pizza."

Alya gives a pointed look before saying, "I hate to break it to you girl, but I don't think you can fit all this pizza in that tiny figure of yours."

"Come on Alya, it's not about the pizza," Marinette scoffs, pressing her cell phone to her ear. "It's about the delivery guy, I need to see a specific one again."

The blogger laughs, plopping onto their couch with a quiet thud. While Marinette waits anxiously for someone on the other end to pick up, Alya decides to ask a few more questions.

"What's his name?"

Marinette places her hand dramatically over her heart, gazing dreamily at nothing in particular.

"His name is Adrien," she breathes, "and I'm pretty sure this is what love feels like." Alya rolls her eyes at the designer's comment, but she's used to her clumsy friend being a tad over dramatic.

"If you want to see him so bad, why don't you just request for him to deliver your pizza?" Alya asks,

"Are you crazy?!" Marinette yells. "That's so embarrassing, and I don't want to seem desperate."

"But, honey you are."

"Adrien doesn't know that!"

And, before Alya can tease her anymore, Marinette turns her attention to her phone. Alya watches as her best friend stumbles out her order for yet another pepperoni pizza. Marinette spares a glance at the ombré haired girl sitting on the couch. Alya gives her lovestruck roommate two thumbs up and a grin that makes the baker's daughter blush.

"Um, do you think you could maybe have someone blonde deliver it?" Marinette requests shyly. Alya cackles, while her best friend signals for her to quiet herself down.

When Marinette hangs up the phone, Alya is the first to speak.

"Someone blonde?" she snickers. "Aren't there other blondes who work there?"

The designer shakes her head before answering with, "No, he told me he was the only blonde guy who works there."

"Is he hot?" Alya inquires.

"Hot?" Marinette repeats, "try scalding, because he's an eleven out of ten, a Greek god, a masterpiece, something out of my dirtiest fantasies-"

"Ew," Alya groans, scrunching up her nose.

"He's the man of my dreams," Marinette adds.

 

* * *

  

Marinette trips over herself when she hears a knocking at the door. Alya, pokes her head out of her bedroom, but doesn't bother to step any further.

When her clumsy roommate opens the door, Alya sees a full head of blonde hair, and bright blue eyes that . . . Don't belong to Adrien.

"Chloe?!" Marinette shrieks, almost slamming the door in her face until Chloe sticks her foot in the doorway. And, that's when Alya realizes that Chloe is wearing a uniform, with the name of the pizzeria stitched neatly above her breast.

"You deliver pizza?" Marinette asks, while Chloe looks away with an indignant huff.

"My daddy cut me off," Chloe explains, holding out one pepperoni pizza to the bluenette's very confused face. Marinette glances at Chloe's hair, Chloe's very blonde hair.

"Oh wow," Alya pipes in, "you're blonde." Chloe looks puzzled, before rolling her eyes and shoving the pizza box into Marinette's hands.

"I'm such an idiot," Marinette groans, pulling out cash and handing it to her former bully. Alya finds herself snickering once again at her best friend, who stacks the new box on top of another pile.

Marinette, who looks defeated, drags herself to her bedroom and shuts the door, all the whole muttering 'Adrien' to herself. With a secretive smile, Alya grabs her phone, dialing a number Marinette has all but memorized.

 

* * *

 

When there is another knock at the door, Marinette is confused.  Alya lies to her sulking roommate, telling her she's using the bathroom and can't open the door at the moment.

So Marinette reluctantly goes to see who it is.

"Hi," a very innocent looking Adrien greets, and Marinette almost implodes.

She did not order pizza, this much Marinette knows. But, standing in front of her is the love of her life, and she's not going to complain if this costs her a few extra dollars.

"Hi there," Marinette finally says back, and Adrien smiles at her so warmly she feels like she's the only person in the world who matters. His deep green eyes, bright blonde hair, and his perfectly chiseled face that makes her swoon.

"Your total is-"

Hot damn, you are one beautiful specimen.

That thought swirls around in her head and she doesn't really hear the rest of what he says.

"T-Thank you Miss," Adrien says, face crimson.

"Huh?"

"For the compliment," he explains, "you said I was a beautiful specimen right?"

"I said that out loud?"

The delivery man nods.

"Fuck my life," she hisses.

"You said that out loud too," he tells her, and Marinette feels her soul leaving her body because she's pretty sure she just died.

"Shut up," she snaps, and Adrien almost drops the box he's holding.

Immediately she backtracks.

"Not you," she says, "I'm talking about me, because I need to shut up like right now since I tend to ramble a lot and then people look at me like I'm crazy, but I'm not crazy."

Marinette nervously takes the box from him and opens the door so she can set it down on top of her growing pile of pizza. She can feel Adrien's eyes on her back and she flips around too late, realizing he's seen her hoard of cheesy goodness.

"Uh," she laughs, "so I kind of wanted to see you again, I don't know if you remember me or anything, but I tried to get you to come back here."

Marinette almost swears he smirks at her, adjusting the hat on top of his head.

"You could've just, requested to have me come," he teases, and Marinette blushes so hard she thinks she's about to faint. He was supposed to be innocent, when did he get flirty?

"I didn't want to seem desperate," she mumbles, realizing how stupid that sounded.

He cranes his neck to take another look at her pile of boxes sitting in the ground, and Marinette feels her stomach turn inside out.

"But," she sighs, "this is ten times more desperate so maybe I should've just requested-"

"Cute," he quips.

"Excuse me?"

He shrugs with a grin on his stupidly handsome face, placing his hands casually in his pockets.

"I mean, a pretty girl orders hundreds of dollars worth of pizza just so she can see me again," Adrien says.

"Yep," she giggles, "that's me."

"Marinette, right?"

Her face lights up.

"You remembered?"

"Yeah," he chuckles, "the pretty girl with the adorable cat pajamas, I couldn't forget that."

Her heart thumps violently in her chest, and she knows she's falling in love with this pizza delivery guy. Falling hard.

Adrien clears his throat.

"Anyway, your total is-"

She slaps the money into his hand before he can get the rest of his sentence out. After twenty something pizzas, you start to remember how much it costs. Marinette throws in a generous tip, to show how happy she was with the service. Or the server.

"Um," she croaks, "would you like to maybe, help me finish all this pizza?"

"Like, right now?"

"I mean, you're working I'm sorry!" Marinette apologizes hastily. "Forget I ever said a word-"

"How about when I get off?"

Her heart freaking soars.

"Yes!" she shouts awkwardly, but he just smiles back at her like she's not crazy.

"I'm really not as weird as I seem," she assures him, playing with the tips of her hair.

"It's honestly adorable," Adrien says.

Marinette lets out a shaky laugh before sheepishly asking if she can have his number. He responds positively and when their numbers are exchanged he tells her he'll be back in a couple hours.

When Adrien leaves, Marinette slumps her back against the door and sighs.

"Was it him?" Alya asks, finally making an appearance.

"Yes!" Marinette shouts excitedly. "He's coming back later too!"

And, then her face goes white.

"Wait, he's coming back Alya, and I look like crap!"

 

* * *

 

When he comes back hours later, out of his uniform, Marinette has an embarrassing nosebleed that she blames on the humidity in the air.

Adrien believes her.

 _FIN_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit shorter than usual ...


	6. Cheating AU Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Adrien gets cheated on, there’s only one blue eyed beauty that can stop him from spiraling out of control. That is, if he lets her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an AU requested by Hama431! You can see the comment on the last chapter where they wanted to see Adrienette hurt/comfort with a bad breakup in the mix. This also is a no kwami AU. This will be a two-parter per request. I really liked this idea and I hope Hama431 is happy with the result!

Numb. 

At twenty-two years old, Adrien feels numb inside.

Almost hollow, almost dead. 

It doesn’t help that the lights aren’t on, and the curtains are closed, and his door is locked. But, Adrien doesn’t really want to feel anything anymore. 

Not now. Not ever. 

He can replay the scene in his mind a thousand times and still think the same thing. 

 _Why_?

Now, he’ll admit he could never really say he was _in_ love with Chloe. But he certainly did love her, enough to the point where he was fine with the forced relationship they had. It wasn’t full of romance, and passion, and excitement. But what they had was theirs, comfortable and easy and familiar. Adrien supposes he didn’t want that kind of relationship with his so called girlfriend, but the lack of any form of love in his childhood made him crave it so much more. So when Chloe was the first person to offer him something close to the kind of attention he was looking for, he settled immediately because he was desperate. 

And he always appreciated the things Chloe would do for him, because she was really his first friend. 

And Adrien still loved her.

He used to think she loved him too. 

Up until he came into their shared apartment and walked in on her half naked, straddling the lap of a recognizable, old classmate.

 

* * *

 

”Adrien!” Chloe had screamed, scrambling to stand up and grab her clothing strewn on the floor. 

Her standing up had revealed the identity of her secret lover. And Adrien couldn’t say he was surprised to see the mystery man in all his glory. Nathaniel Kurtzberg’s bright red hair immediately captured Adrien’s attention, and the shocked look on his face made the blonde think maybe he didn’t know that Chloe and him were involved. 

And for a long time all he could do was stare.

“Sweetie, you’re back early,” the mayor’s daughter stated, cheeks bright red. 

“Yeah,” he nodded dumbly, “I came home early to surprise my girlfriend.” 

That’s when Adrien proceeded to drop the bouquet of roses he’d planned to give to her upon arriving home. He’d been gripping them so tight he almost forgot he had them. 

Petals scattered across the floor, similar to the pieces of his heart. 

“How could you?” Adrien managed to choke out, staring in disbelief at his girlfriend’s mortified expression. 

“Adrikins, it’s not what you think-“

”Really?” Adrien cut her off, his chest aching when he spoke. “Because it looks like you cheated on me.”

She was still clutching her shirt to her chest, trying to cover up her shame. And when she reached out to touch him he slapped her hand away. 

“Don’t,” he growled, “touch me.”

”Adrien, come on, you know our relationship was never like that,” the girl pouted, and the young man couldn’t believe she had the audacity to look hurt. 

“Like what?” 

“You didn’t really love me,” she huffed, “and you know it’s true.”

”I loved you so much, Chloe! Obviously more than you loved me.”

She scoffed in disagreement. “Oh please, get real, babe.”

”You were one of my best friends Chloe, of course I loved you,” he cried, clutching at his chest because he feared his heart would burst at any moment. 

“Well you sure didn’t show it,” her voice sneered. “So I think you owe me an apology.”

His fists clenched involuntarily. “I owe you an apology?! You’re the one sleeping with some other guy!”

”Can you blame me?” Chloe asked. “Our relationship was going nowhere Adrien!”

A look of hurt washed over his face, his mouth hanging open to gape. His emotions were mixed, his heart was broken, his head was hurting too much to think straight. 

Chloe suddenly backtracked. “Wait, baby I didn’t mean it like that-“

”Save it,” he spat, barely acknowledging his girlfriend’s lover on the couch. “I want you out of here by the end of the day.”

His girlfriend gasped. “Adrien-“

”I said save it Chloe!” Adrien’s outburst silenced her. “I don’t even want to look at you anymore.”

And while he wanted to be angry, he was disappointed more than anything. He wiped away the tears before she could see just how heartbroken he really was.

 

* * *

 

Now here he is, three days later, sitting on the same couch he caught his ex-girlfriend on.

Adrien takes another swig of the beer in his hand, and while he’s never been one for drinking it helps keep his emotions at bay. It helps him feel numb. It helps him not feel at all. The former teen model doesn’t really want to think about how much he wishes she’d never cheated on him, how much he wishes they could go back to the way things were. 

But he supposes this was going to happen eventually, given how lackluster Chloe felt their relationship had been. Adrien had never slept with her, maybe that’s why she ran into another man’s arms. 

He can’t help thinking a part of this is his fault, even if she’s the one who cheated.

He’s about to bring the bottle to his lips again when there’s a sharp knock at the door. Adrien’s attention is drawn away from his drink, but he doesn’t get up. 

Ten seconds later the sharp knocking is back, and he has a feeling ignoring it isn’t going to make it stop. 

With a groan he stands up and walks to the door, sloppily undoing the locks before pulling it open. A part of him feels like he’s going to see Chloe standing there, but she hasn’t come to see him since that day. She hasn’t called or texted either. And if he’s honest he still misses her, still loves her, but her ultimate betrayal is enough to scar him.

And while he’s met with blue eyes, they do not belong to Chloe. 

“Marinette?” Adrien slurs, the exposure to light from the hallway making him squint.

“Adrien!” Marinette chirps, standing there in a cute pea coat and flats, gripping a large paper bag in her hands. Her dark hair is twisted into a messy bun, and the bright smile on her face is the exact opposite of how Adrien feels. But, she looks good, and he suddenly feels self-conscious. 

“Can I come in?” Marinette asks sweetly, and Adrien hesitates for a second before opening the door and letting her inside.

”So what brings you here?” Adrien asks, watching her frown when she looks at the collection of empty bottles of beer on his coffee table. 

“Uh, I wanted to come see how you were doing,” she responds. “Nino told me what happened with you and-“

”Please don’t,” Adrien whispers, “don’t say her name.”

Marinette closes her mouth before offering him the paper bag she’d been holding. He accepts it, but shoots her a curious look. 

“It’s from my parent’s bakery,” she explains. “I remember you used to love eating pastries there back when we were in high school.”

Adrien blinks, and softens his expression because only Marinette would be this thoughtful.

It almost makes him smile. 

Almost. 

“I’m sorry to drop by unannounced,” Marinette says awkwardly, “especially since we haven’t talked since like Christmas.” 

Adrien remembers the last time he saw her, standing in an oversized reindeer sweater next to her boyfriend who’s name he never learned. She had been hosting a Christmas party and he had showed up with Chloe. Adrien didn’t say much to Marinette, other than Merry Christmas. While they were good friends in high school, Adrien didn’t think they were very close anymore. 

“Right, Christmas,” he hums. “How’s your boyfriend?” 

Marinette’s face falls, but she plasters on a quick smile to hide her sadness. “We’re kind of taking a break right now.”

Adrien frowns. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-“

”Don’t worry about it!” Marinette tells him. “I’m perfectly fine, you know me.”

They both know she’s lying, but Adrien doesn’t question her further. 

“Anyway, Nino and Alya wanted to come see you, but they’re having dinner with his parents today. So I guess you’re stuck with me,” Marinette jokes, sticking her tongue out teasingly at him. 

Adrien appreciates her attempt at cheering him up, but the whole thing feels sort of awkward. They don’t know each other that well, that’s something he’s sure she knows too. He normally sees Marinette when he hangs out with Nino and Alya too. 

“You don’t have to do this,” he sighs, placing the bag of pastries on his kitchen countertop. 

Marinette shoots him a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”

Adrien runs a hand through his unkempt hair. “You don’t have to pretend like it’s your job to make sure I recover from my breakup.”

”What makes you think I’m pretending?”

Adrien furrows his brow. “Well, it’s not your job anyway.”

”I know,” she folds her arms, “but any good friend would want to make sure you’re okay.”

”We don’t even know each other that well,” he counters, sounding an awful lot like a small child with his tone. 

“Maybe I want to fix that,” Marinette shoots back. “I care about your wellbeing, Adrien.”

He doesn’t say anything. 

“Besides, look how much weight you’ve lost,” the young woman jokes, “so it’s a good thing I brought those sweets for you.”

Adrien’s lips twitch, ghosting a smile that Marinette notices before it disappears. 

“It’s okay to smile,” she tells him, “I find it helps you feel better.”

Suddenly the blonde frowns. “I-I don’t want to.”

Marinette’s expression immediately mimics his. “Why not?”

”I don’t want to talk about it,” he sighs. 

Her hand reaches out to touch his arm. “Adrien if you need to talk-“

”I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Adrien shouts, startling the designer and causing her to step back. 

“I’m sorry,” she sighs, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Adrien swallows a lump in his throat.

“You should go,” he quietly whispers, opening the door for her to leave. “Thanks for stopping by Marinette.”

Her face twists in concern, and she opens her mouth to speak, but snaps it shut right after. 

“Goodbye Adrien,” her voice says, and he has to fight the part of him that wants her to stay. The part that feels so cold and alone and needs someone as warm as her in his life. 

She disappears before he can think about it too much.

And then Adrien closes the door and sits back on the couch, downing the rest of his beer he’d been drinking before Marinette showed up at all.

He ignores the voice inside his head that tells him he wants to see her again tomorrow. 

 

* * *

 

She’s back.

The very next day.

In a bright pink romper and a smile even brighter than the sun. Adrien has to blink twice to make sure he isn’t hallucinating.

“Marinette, what are you-“

”I brought you a quiche!” Marinette grins, holding up the dish in her delicate hands. 

“A quiche?” Adrien raises a brow. 

“It’s an apology quiche,” she tells him. “Can we talk?” 

Adrien really wants to say no, he wants to close the door and bolt the chain and pray that she’ll leave him alone. But then he looks back into her eyes and adorable smile. And the quiche happens to smell really really good. So, against his better judgement, he lets her inside once again.

“So,” he drawls, “why a quiche?”

Marinette blushes slightly, setting the container down next to the bag of pastries on the kitchen counter that he’s barely touched. 

“You probably don’t remember this,” she starts, “but a while back you were complaining about having nothing to eat at school during lunch. You said it was because you had a photo shoot later and you couldn’t risk upsetting your stomach or messing up your diet.”

”That sounds like me,” Adrien grumbles in agreeance. 

“Anyway,” Marinette smiles, “I kind of ran next door to my house and asked my parents if they could give you something to eat because I didn’t want you to starve.”

Adrien suddenly remembers the event clearly in his mind. “And you brought me a quiche.”

”You remember?” Marinette asks in surprise. 

“Of course I do,” he answers, “that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.”

”I just knew that you liked them,” she giggles behind her hand, before looking down at her feet with a frown. “I wanted to get you something to let you know that I’m also very sorry.”

”For?”

Her eyes look sad. ”For overstepping my bounds yesterday when I came by.”

”Oh,” he says back. Adrien doesn’t really know what to tell her. He doesn’t know if she plans to stay longer or just leave now that her apology has been said. 

“Can you forgive me?” Marinette asks, clasping her hands and bowing her head. 

“Yes,” Adrien says, much to her relief. “I was also out of line yesterday, so I’m sorry for yelling.”

”Don’t apologize! You’re going through a tough breakup and I just waltzed in here like we could laugh about it,” Marinette pouts.

How _cute_ , he thinks. 

“It’s fine,” Adrien lies. He really just wants to stop talking about this. About her and what she did and how she broke his heart. 

“Oh!” Marinette perks up. “Nino wanted me to tell you that he couldn’t make it again today and that he appointed me as his honorary substitute.”

”Which means?”

”Well, whatever you wanted to talk about with Nino you can talk about with me,” Marinette says. 

Adrien narrows his gaze. “Nino and I weren’t going to talk about anything.”

“Are you sure-“

”There’s nothing to talk about,” Adrien hisses, turning away from her to grab another beer from the fridge.

”Okay,” she whispers, looking defeated. 

He wonders why she wants him to talk about this so much. What does she have to gain from him telling her he feels like absolute shit at the moment. 

“Want a beer?” Adrien asks, not really expecting her to say yes when she squeaks in surprise. 

But then he watches her cheery facade fade, and her shoulders drop as she lets out a sigh of resignation. 

“God knows I need one,” Marinette laughs, self-deprecation obviously behind it. 

Adrien’s eyes widen a fraction when she walks up to his fridge, grabs a beer, and unscrews the cap like a seasoned pro.

“Rough week?” Adrien questions, watching her chug the bottle with ease. 

“You’re not the only one going through a breakup,” Marinette quips, and he’s taken back to what she told him yesterday. 

“Oh right, how is that going?”

She looks at him like he’s just said something very dumb. “Well, it’s certainly not good.”

Adrien stays silent. 

“We should have some fun,” Marinette suggests, setting her beer next to the forgotten quiche. 

“Fun? At a time like this?”

She waves his concern away. “This is the perfect time! Why should we let our shitty exes ruin our lives?”

”Because our hearts are broken,” Adrien answers with a frown. 

“God you’re depressing,” the young woman mutters. “Listen, I tried to come in here with a cheerful and bubbly attitude, but I’m feeling crappy and you probably feel awful.”

Adrien nods. 

“So,” Marinette starts, “why don’t we help each other feel _good_?”

The twenty-two year old man blushes a deep shade of crimson. “Marinette, not that you aren’t _really_ attractive I just don’t think I’m ready for-“

”You’re a pervert,” she snorts. 

“What?”

Marinette rolls her eyes. ”I meant feel good as in laugh or something, I’m not looking for sex. Especially not with you.”

Adrien feels slightly offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

”Don’t get me wrong,” Marinette laughs, “you’re definitely hot, I’m just over my high school fantasy.”

He does a double take. “High school fantasy?”

She looks a him curiously. “Oh gosh, you didn’t know?”

Adrien is even more confused, and he shakes his head in response. 

“I had the _biggest_ crush on you when we were like fourteen, all the way until we graduated,” she confesses, with no embarrassment whatsoever. 

He has no idea where this confident side of her came from. 

“How would I know that?”

Marinette snickers. “Come on, I was so obvious!”

”Obviously you weren’t,” he argues. 

She strongly disagrees. “Whatever, it’s in the past. Hence why I don’t want to jump your bones whenever I see you anymore.”

A small part of him is a little bit disappointed to hear that. 

“I can’t believe you had a crush on me though,” Adrien sighs, drinking from the bottle in his hand. 

“What’s so hard to believe?” Marinette asks. 

“I guess a lot of girls thought I was good-looking,” he thinks aloud.

”I agree, but that’s not why I liked you.”

Adrien is genuinely curious when he hears her admission. So he takes another sip before turning to look at her. 

“If not for my face, then what?”

Marinette looks deep in thought for the next few seconds. 

“You were one of the kindest people I knew. You were incredibly smart, extremely talented, and you just knew how to make me fall in love with you.”

Adrien blushes, trying his best to seem cool and calm in front of her. The words ‘fall in love’ grab his attention, but her confession to him doesn’t seem to faze her in the slightest. 

“I hope you realize how amazing you are, Adrien Agreste,” Marinette whispers, staring back at him with a sincere smile and a soft gaze. 

His breath catches in his throat, because no one’s ever said that to him before. And here this girl is, saying that she used to love him and still thinks the world of him. Adrien can’t help wondering what would’ve happened if he knew about her feelings back when they were fourteen. What would’ve happened if he dated her instead of . . . anyone else.

“And you’re hot,” she shoots him a wink.

And then, Adrien is laughing. 

A genuine chuckle coming out of his mouth and it actually feels really good.

”I did it!” Marinette cheers, jumping up and down. “I got you to laugh, and smile, and finally look like yourself!”

Adrien can’t help grinning when he watches her dance around the kitchen triumphantly. She’s like the human incarnate of happiness, and he starts to think maybe he needs that right now. 

A little bit of happiness.

A little bit of Marinette.

_TO BE CONTINUED . . ._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 coming up next!


	7. Cheating AU Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn’t good. But, I finally finished it.

He hears the knock. 

And, Adrien is slightly embarrassed to say he gets excited about it. He blames this feeling on his loneliness, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the person he thinks is behind the door. 

But, he ~~sprints~~ walks to the door while suppressing a smile. And when he turns the knob he tries his best to look nonchalant, but his expressionless face morphs into shock the moment he sets his eyes in front of him. 

“Hey,” the person on the other end of the doorway says. 

Adrien can’t respond. Not yet. He’s trying to slow down his heartrate before he explodes. 

“Adrikins?” 

His fists clench and his eyes narrow on their own accord. “What are you doing here, Chloe?” 

And for a split second he sees her waver, her foot stepping back like she’s been hurt. For a moment... Adrien actually feels like apologizing. Until he snaps back to reality and realizes he has nothing to be sorry for, and he’s done letting her walk all over him. 

“I-I wanted to talk,” she replies, wrapping her arms around herself like a defense mechanism. That’s when Adrien finally takes in her appearance. Her hair hasn’t been brushed, her makeup isn’t even on, and she’s wearing an old yellow sweatshirt with some grey sweatpants he vaguely remembers giving her.

She looks tired. But, so does he.

”I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” Adrien grits out, preparing to shit the door until she pushes it back open in desperation. 

“Please!” Chloe begs, “Just give me ten minutes, that’s all I want.” 

The young man laughs dryly. “You think you have the right to tell me what you want?” 

“Adrien, just hear me out, I’m begging you to just listen! If you don’t want to talk to me, fine. But, let me say what I have to say. Please.” 

He hears the breaking of her voice, and his stubbornness dissipates. “Fine. You have five minutes.”

He steps aside from the doorway and she breathes in relief while following him back into their old shared apartment. Adrien stands in the kitchen and stares back at her expectantly. 

“You look good—“

”Stop,” Adrien cuts her off. “Don’t do this. Just get to the point, please.” 

Chloe looks offended, but she quickly plasters on a look of neutral confusion. 

“I love you,” she starts, “I always have. Ever since we were kids. And, you’re always been there for me through everything, despite everything. But, I took that for granted, and I treated you like you didn’t matter to me. When, in reality, you mean more to me than anyone else in the world.”

Adrien feels his heart clenching in his chest while he grips the countertop to stop himself from crying. 

Chloe takes a step towards him. “I’m so sorry, Adrien. I never wanted to hurt you, and I know that’s no excuse, but I’ve realized that I messed up the one good thing in my life. And, I want you back. I want to be with you and I want it to be real this time. No more lying and I will never cheat on you again.” 

His head starts to hurt, her words ringing so loudly in his ears he can’t hear himself think. Adrien can’t move when she wraps her arms around him in a tight hug and cries on his shoulder, he can’t move when she whispers his name in his ear over and over again. 

But, he wishes he’d moved when she cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his in a firm kiss that wakes him up again. 

It wakes him up just in time to see Marinette holding a bag of groceries in his doorway with her eyes widened and jaw dropped in disbelief. It wakes him up in time to see her drop the bag on the floor and gasp, and he realizes he had never closed the door behind Chloe. 

So, on instinct, his hands gently shove his ex-girlfriend back. Her eyes still shining with tears. Chloe looks back to see Marinette frozen in place, mouth open with no words coming out. 

“Why is she here?” Chloe asks, annoyed and curious at the same time. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Marinette stutters, “I should’ve called ahead of time! I didn’t mean to interrupt—I’m just gonna go.”

And, with that she turns around and runs away. And Chloe tries to grab Adrien’s hand, but he pushes it away. And the next thing he knows, he’s running out the door and chasing after Marinette, even though his mind doesn’t really know why. 

He ignores Chloe’s screams as he catches a glimpse of her dashing into the elevator. His legs pick up speed and he slips inside before the doors close, much to Marinette’s disappointment. 

“Adrien, what are you doing?!” Marinette shouts, huffing indignantly while he can’t do anything but laugh in response.

”I don’t know,” he answers honestly, after catching his breath. 

“You just left your girlfriend—“

”Ex-girlfriend,” Adrien corrects quickly.

”Last time I checked, if you’re broken up you don’t kiss,” Marinette mutters. 

“Well—wait... are you _jealous_?” 

The young fashion designer scoffs. “What? No! Why would I be jealous, it’s not like I _like_ you! We’re not teenagers anymore.”

”Unfortunately,” he whispers, before he even realizes it’s out. 

“What?”

”Nothing! I just—yeah I know you don’t think of me like that anymore. But, I ran after you because...”

”Because?” 

“I care what you think... about me, as a person.”

Marinette blinks and Adrien is pretty sure neither of them believe what he’s just said. But, he can’t think of what he actually wants to say.

”Why?” 

The young man smiles sheepishly. “I mean, you’re Marinette. The nicest person in the world... I don’t want you to think I’m a bad person.” 

She narrows her gaze and folds her arms across her chest. “Why would I think you’re a bad person if you got back together with Chloe?”

The elevator doors open at the lobby floor, and Marinette quickly dashes out. Adrien trails after her, close at her heels. “Because you might think I’m stupid and sleezy for getting back with someone who cheated on me.” 

“Are you convincing me? Or yourself?” Marinette asks with a slight attitude in her voice, and her words hit him harder than he could’ve possibly imagined. 

He... doesn’t know.

”I—“

”Look, Adrien,” Marinette says, ceasing her steps. “Go back and talk to her, please. I don’t know why you’re chasing after me, and obviously you don’t either. Like I said before, this isn’t high school. We need to grow up and face our problems and figure them out to begin with. We were never that close, but I knew you better than you might think. That’s what happens when you love someone I guess. I’ll admit coming over for the past two days has been fun, but I don’t think we really know each other anymore. It’s been years, and... Chloe and you should get everything out on the table.”

”Chloe and I aren’t gonna get back together—“ 

“I’m not saying you should. But, she wants closure and you need it,” Marinette says dryly, before walking away, leaving Adrien in the lobby more confused than ever. 

 

* * *

 

He talks to Chloe like she asks, but it doesn’t go too well. Adrien tells her he doesn’t want to get back together and she cries, louder than she’s ever cried before. But, he’s too tired to console her so he asks her to leave. 

For once, he’s not going to apologize to her like he used to. 

It’s weird that he feels worse about Marinette seeing him and Chloe than he does about rejecting Chloe herself. He realizes he must really be going insane if he doesn’t even understand how he feels anymore. 

Not that he feels anything different for anyone. At least, he doesn’t think he does.

But... he misses Marinette. And it’s stupid, she came over for two days and he’s already attached. It’s not like they were strangers though, they were friends. She was always the sweetest, bravest person he knew and it’s not like that’s really changed. 

And, she had liked him. Apparently, loved him based on what she let slip in the lobby. He was her first love. He wishes she had been his, he wishes he’d seen her that way years ago, he wishes... he stops that train of thought. 

He sees her like that... now. 

When she’s clearly moved on, he starts to like her. Wow, of course that’s just his luck. 

 

* * *

When he hears a knock the next day, he jumps in surprise. 

Could it be...?

He opens the door quickly, trying to slow his erratic heartbeat with his new revelation. But, he opens the door only to find his neighbor asking if he has any sugar that they could borrow. 

Adrien lends the sugar to his neighbor, before closing the door with a sigh and slumping on his couch with a frown.

He really does miss her. 

Curse his overly sentimental self. 

He spots the box of pastries she’d dropped yesterday that he’d picked up and placed on his counter. Her parents bakery logo is big and visible from his living room. 

Staring at the box, a lightbulb goes off in his brain.

 

* * *

 

Maybe he’s crazy, but standing outside the old patisserie next to his high school seems right. 

She’s probably not even here, he thinks, but... maybe she is.

Throwing caution to the wind, he pulls the doors open and walks inside, taking in the delightful scent he’d missed. The bakery was always so warm and homey, a feeling he wasn’t quite used to. 

As the bell above the door jingles, he hears her voice clear and soft. “Hi, welcome to the—“

Her words fall short when she registers his face. “Hey, Marinette.”

”Adrien,” she whispers awkwardly. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

”I wasn’t expecting you either,” he says cryptically.

”You weren’t?”

”I meant,” Adrien clears his throat realizing how dumb that sounded out loud. “I wasn’t expecting you to come back into my life the way you did.”

”Oh,” she replies. “Is that a good thing?”

”Yeah,” he answers, “it’s a great thing actually. Maybe it might not end so well for me, but I’m willing to take that risk.”

”What are you talking about?”

”Remember when you had a crush on me in high school?” Adrien asks.

He watches her blush in her apron behind the cash register. “Y-Yes.”

”Well, when we were twenty-two I had a crush on you.”

It takes her a moment to register what he’s just said. “Y-You mean you—“

”Yeah, and I’m sorry if that complicates things, but I really wanted to tell you that I wish I’d seen you sooner. I wish I’d been smarter back then.”

She doesn’t say anything for a while. But, her face looks conflicted. “Adrien, you’re in a vulnerable place right now.”

He flinches. “I am, but Chloe and I were never real. I’m not trying to rush into anything, I just wanted to see if maybe... some day you’d be willing to go on a date or something.” 

“I don’t want to take advantage of you,” Marinette mumbles. “You’re just getting over a breakup and I was really nice and maybe you don’t think of me the way you think you do right now and what if things go wrong when you realize this isn’t—“

”God, you’re depressing,” Adrien says, earning a scoff of disbelief from the young woman. 

“Using my own words against me?”

”I’m not asking for marriage, but I know I’m sane enough to understand that I like you,” he tells her. “And, I wanna get to know you better. So.. one date?”

Marinette smiles. “If I was eighteen I would’ve died for this chance... but now? I’m glad I got over you.” 

Adrien feels his heart sink.

”Because I got to be myself, and now I know that after everything... I kinda still like you too.”

”You mean—“

”Yeah. One date couldn’t hurt.”

”Wow, I did not expect that to work.”

”Don’t make me take it back.”

  _FIN_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s rushed I know, but I had no inspiration ;(


	8. ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello Readers! 

Thank you so much for choosing to read this story.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking... and I've decided I am no longer going to post AUs on here because I’d like to turn my AU ideas into one shots or stand alone stories that will be posted separately. I hope you continue to read despite this decision, and I appreciate all the support!

I will be posting these current AUs as stand alone stories and if you would like to bookmark or subscribe to those that would be great! After I post them all and add some content or rewrite a few things... I am going to delete this story.

thanks a million (ways to fall in love haha)

\- Gwen


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